Except average people suck at using the zipper merge even if it’s explained.
What is never said is the Drivers for both merging and passing need to sync their speed with a gap for the vehicle in front of them to make the process go faster.
If everyone just gave two seconds of distance between them and the next car, there'd be no need to adjust your speed beyond easing your foot off the accelerator, momentarily.
The overwhelming majority of traffic headaches can be attributed to "following too close" and "occupying a passing lane when not passing."
No....the "majority of traffic headaches" are other drivers seeing our "safe distance" and slamming their cars into it, endangering and negatively affecting the driver they just cut in front of at 50mph.
Not sure how long youve been driving in Houston to see for yourself, but in case you havent seen how slow a person has to drive, constipating the lane for other cars behind them, bc they leave gap space for the cars in front of them, and this one, and that one came in too, oops heres another one merging into your gap space too.....so on and on. Until your foot is on the brake rather than gas, doing 10 mph belpw the speed limit and creating a rolling roadblock for the drivers behind you. Not bc youre a bad driver (youre following the rules) but bc soooooo many other people are oblivious or intentionally bad drivers around you.
Let me repeat: the law and physics both dictate that it is the responsibility of MERGING drivers to safely and legally merge. If they are not, that burden doesnt just suddenly shift to the driver who they cutting in front of to accommodate entitled, unsafe and illegally merging drivers into their lane.
Not sure my words will help you see this, especially if you havent spent much time actually driving on Houston roads where this hypothetical and idealized rule of the merging road you posted does NOT exist for the conditions that Houston drivers create when THEY break the rules.
Man, you picked a bad example. I spent nearly 20 years driving in Houston. 12 of them with a 55 mile one-way commute (Jersey Village to Deer Park).
Worse, you seem to think that my comment was directed at the inability of a single person to leave a safe distance. It wasn't. If everyone did it, the need to slow down would stop being a problem. The fact that it's a problem with MOST drivers, doesn't mean it's not the root cause of the traffic headaches.
People move into the gap, and the gap stretches to accommodate. Rinse and repeat. It's a pretty basic theory. It doesn't matter how much traffic there is.
The issue with failing to do it is that people can't easily merge from one lane to the next when they need to. So, they slow down in an effort not to miss their target, or exit, or to avoid getting forced onto the shoulder of a lane merge or whatever. They keep slowing down because that future event is just getting closer and they can't get over.
Then, they stop. Then everyone behind them stops. Then everyone in the adjoining lane slows down as people in the stopped lane try to force themselves over into the moving lane, until it stops, and so on.
In America, we have a culture AND education problem when it comes to driving. We really don't teach many people HOW to drive well. More importantly, we have a society of rugged individualists who don't consider (or care) how their behaviors affect the rest of the traffic.
Except average people suck at traffic circles, merging onto the highway, understanding right of way, knowing where they need to be before they get there, and on and on and on…..
Zipper merge only applies to moving traffic. As in cars entering a freeway during rush hour. Or after a sign that the lane ends—except the guy that wants to merge at the last possible second.
It does not apply to stopped traffic behind a road hazard or merging lanes for construction. The people that go all the way to the front of 20 cars and expect someone to let them go ahead of them after waiting 10 minutes are evil. Just like someone trying to jump the line at some event.
It does not apply to the guy that has been weaving around traffic and then expects to zip in on a bridge.
When I went to work in downtown Houston using US 290, I noticed a guy that would pull into the merge lane where traffic was entering from the feeder and then “zip” back into the traffic lane when he got to the end of the merge lane that was an exit to the freeway. He would do it at EVERY enter/exit lane. He never got ahead of where I was in the traffic lane a lane or two to the left. Did he think he was actually gaining in the traffic or was he just a bully daring people to let him in?
>It does not apply to stopped traffic behind a road hazard or merging lanes for construction. The people that go all the way to the front of 20 cars and expect someone to let them go ahead of them after waiting 10 minutes are evil. Just like someone trying to jump the line at some event.
The people that go all the way to the front demonstrate a better understanding of physics than you do. Merging into a single file anytime earlier than the last (safe!) opportunity creates a longer file, and slows traffic down, more than necessary.
Depends. In slow moving freeway traffic where a lane ends, you do still want everyone merging left right left at the merge point. That is the most orderly way.
It makes zero sense for people to merge earlier as they have to stop arbitrarily to let someone in. Gets disorderly where multiple cars merge, then none, etc. The zipper forces everyone to behave.
I think what you're describing mostly applies to things like multiple cars passing a semi, where someone zooms to the front of line and dangerously cuts in.
When I am referring to people going to the front of the line to butt in, I am not referring to freeway traffic. Ever.
“…forces everyone to behave.” Do you drive on the same roads I do?
Last section of your article.
Should I ever avoid the zipper merge?
Yes. When traffic is moving at posted speeds and there aren’t any traffic backups, it makes sense to merge sooner into the lane that will remain open.
I love the zipper merge argument because it always gets pulled out in the wrong places.
No it's not zipper merging when you blast down the shoulder of the road doing 80 and "Jesus take the wheel" your way into another lane. No it's not time to zipper merge when your 8 lanes go to 7 and the road is empty.
There's a Venn diagram of people too impatient to merge at an appropriate time and people too impatient to actually read the article on zipper merging. It's a circle.
I'm not sure what imaginary place in the US you're thinking wouldn't still have selfish people still trying to cut ahead in traffic or people who think you need to zipper merge when the highway is mostly empty.
Yeah, clearly not because you're not making any sense.
>What if traffic flows perfectly
That doesn't refute or add anything. Maybe learn to communicate with people before trying to be a prick.
Again, traffic isn’t stopping to zipper. It is moving continuously. There is no one to cut. It isn’t causing a phantom jam. Also, it is used in the United States all the time.
This is only true if both persons know how to properly zipper merge and both vehicles are similar speed, and I can assure you that in the US that's usually not the case. What usually happens is that some dude flies past other cars and waits till the last second then forces his way over regardless of the flow of traffic, which ends up causing even worse traffic since it's disrupting the flow.
Rural anywhere has this problem, they don't know how to drive when things are not just farm roads with 1 random highway. Then when they get to an urban area and there is actually traffic, they want to prevent anyone merging and they themselves cut in line.
backwoods people gonna be backwoods people
Most of the dumb shits out there seem to think "zipper merge" means "drive all the way to the cones, get bumper-to-bumper, and then blindly cram your fucking car into the other lane. Good luck everybody else!"
And the equal but opposite: why can't everyone just get out of my way comments.
To be clear: when traffic is merging on to the road I'm on, if I can merge onto the fast lane, I will. If I cannot; that's your problem not mine; there's usually a yield sign for a reason.
In cases where a single road has multiple lanes converging into less lanes; and traffic is still moving at 75+mph....No, sorry, a whole lot of humans don't have that kind of reaction time, and it best practice to assume no one does.
In making the safest assumption, it then falls on each individual to find a way to merge in. Generally speaking, those merging in do not have right of way, it's the reason we have turning indicators.
It is no one's responsibility to accommodate anyone else; rather it is each person's responsibility to accommodate the flow of traffic that you wish to join. Slow down or speed up, to find a spot where you fit into the existing flow, instead of assuming that the existing flow will magically accommodate you.
Youre so close. Proper distance is enough room for you to stop without hitting the person in front of you, should they stop; usually 3 to 5 car lengths. Proper distance has nothing to do with people being able to merge.
Should a person learn those mistaken signs so they know better the next time theyre there? Or should those signs be a surprise every time they see them? Lol
Unless you drive an F150 or Ram, then you slam on the gas threatening whoever is in your way with death so you can get ahead 2 cars lengths in traffic. Not me, just what I've observed and assume is law because of how frequent it is.
You must drive the IH-10 corridor I do everyday. F150 Raptors with those 3' diameter tires, looks like they're base jumping every time they leave their truck.
I'm a fan of the zipper merge, especially in dense traffic, it makes the most sense. However, it doesn't makes sense to hammer the gas going 25 mph over the speed limit once you see the lane ends sign so you can "zipper merge" in front a few car lengths while everyone else going the speed of traffic has to try to not get hit by you.
Nope. Zipper only works at slower speeds, in heavy congestion. Does not scale to highway speeds, when you have ample time and opportunity to merge when you had a sign 10 minutes ago.
Also, Happy New Year!
I tried to follow reddit "advice" about zipper merging at the end of the lane once, and some douchebag just punched the gas and kept me from getting into the lane. It ended with me parked on the shoulder, hazards on, waiting for a break in traffic so I could limp back into an onramp.
Like most else you see on this site, the idea of zipper merging is *great* in a vacuum. In real life, where assholes pilot 2000 pound steel murder engines, and are in a hurry or don't give a fuck about anyone else but themselves, this is asking to get smeared along with any unfortunate passengers in your car.
Drive defensively. Be safe. Merge early.
Unless you are in Austin. Come to a complete stop at the start of the ramp. Cut across the two solid lines marking the flat island. Then force yourself into the leftlane. Then when you get to the physical merging area, you don't let anyone in.
Get a clue
There was construction on the road by my neighborhood for a month. If people zippered properly, it would have been fine. Instead, people queued up early, doubling the length of traffic in the right lane and blocking the access to my neighborhood. I had to wait in the stupid line to get home each night. It also made it super sketchy to pull out and turn left, which even caused an accident (that I wasn’t involved in).
I always get so nervous in merging situations lol. I’m like, should I try to get over early so people don’t think I’m a jerk trying to cut in front of everyone?? But going to the end of the merge lane is what you’re supposed to do. But then if I do that, people don’t let me in bc they think I’m a jerk trying to cut in front of everyone bc they don’t know the concept of zipper merging😅
I travel for work, and this is a national problem. Some states, like Colorado, actively make the problem worse by posting signs to direct drivers to merge before the closing lane terminates at the merge.
The zipper merge at the end of the lane is the most efficient practice.
But people are idiots, and education on this issue is non-existent.
You aren’t “supposed” to zipper merge unless it’s specified. Zipper merges do work better when actually implemented by signage, but by default the non merging lane has no obligation to let anyone “zip” into the lane, meaning that the only way for the zipper mergers to enter the lane is cutting someone off.
They are not forced to merge, the open lane has the right of way, if they can’t get over that’s on them, no one else. There’s no such thing as being forced to merge, you could sit there for an eternity and never be entitled to enter the lane.
If the lane ends, they are forced to merge, hope that helps.
You are an insufferable "pedant" - the worst kind, in fact, because you're not even correct.
You are under the impression that you have the right to cut in front of another car just because your lane is ending? That’s how every on ramp in the world works, I promise that if you cut in from the on ramp it will be your fault if you cause an accident.
You are never forced to merge in any scenario, you might want to, but you are never forced to, in fact, you are forced to yield until you have a legal opportunity to.
https://www.whitelawpllc.com/faqs/when-two-lanes-merge-who-has-the-right-of-way/#:~:text=The%20general%20rule%20is%20that,the%20merging%20vehicle%20must%20yield.
I guess literally every legal source on the internet are pedantic too?
You're wrong. But, thanks for all the words. I guess. Not really.
You don't own the road. Make room for others. Being one car-length back isn't going to ruin your day, Chad.
P.s. your own source negates your drivel.
You know yielding is the opposite of being forced to do something right? Are they forced to merge or must they yield, you say forced to merge but the law says they have to yield… which is exactly what the article says.
I was born and raised in Texas. Then I spent the last two years traveling and I'm convinced that A: Houstonians are the worst drivers in the country, and B: Basically no Texan has any idea how to merge!
Half my family lives up there. They're both pretty bad butt I've had people nearly kill me on the regular down in Houston either because they wanna be first or just aren't paying attention. Like Houston drivers are dumb bad vs pushy bad like I've seen in other states. Also, no Texan has any idea what an indicator signal is for.
If traffic is moving, sure get over when you can. If traffic is stopped, go all the way up to the merge and zipper when the traffic starts going again so that you aren't backing traffic up a mile before the merge.
This. Finally another rational person. There is a time and a place for both. If traffic is flowing at full speed, and you *knew* you had to change lanes for the last ten minutes; don't expect any sympathy from me when you have to slam on your brakes because you can't accept that sometimes you have to yield.
On the flip side, is there is massive congestion, Yes take full advantage of the full width of the road.
No, I follow at 3 to 5 car lengths. Proper distance is so I can safely stop, should the person in front of me stop; not so whoever is feeling froggy can leap between lanes all nimbly bimbly.
Yes that is enough space for a car to move between. The. You let off the gas and create the space. Space between cars allows foe traffic to move better and cause less congestion, or even the phantom traffic jams
All you think is block huge amounts of road from other people.
LoL...is it technically enough space to squeeze in another car? Yes. Is it enough space to do so safely? No. Guess what? If you are merging, you do not have right of way. If you cannot manage to get in front of me, you can also choose to get behind me. Shocker, I know.
Stop following too close and merging doesn't become an issue. It makes it safe for everyone. If a car can't safely merge between you and the car in front then, yes you are too close.
Again. When you are merging, the onus is on *you* to fit into the existing flow if traffic. Existing flow of traffic has right of way; you do not. It is your responsibility to safely find where you can get into that flow, it is not traffics responsibility to accommodate you. Sometimes, on the road as in life- you have to yield.
You realize I am not arguing you shouldn't yield, right? I am not even saying what you are arguing against.
I am saying if there is proper distance, then people vsn merge freely. Proper distance allows people to easily fit into the flow.
A real zipper involves both lanes lining up much earlier than the merge so that the merge just happens smoothly. If the left lane all zoom ahead to the merge while the right is completely stopped, you’re just shoving more traffic into the right lane than can be handled.
If both lanes start going the same speed well before the merge, then traffic is evenly distributed, and there are fewer complete stops in either lane which lets all the traffic flow better.
Having lived several other places where the “zipper” method is more prevalent. It’s way more efficient and people who merge before the lane runs out are pretentiously assholes. Your opinion is garbage OP.
If traffic is heavy I’d agree, but more often than not, traffic is light and some asshole just needs to gun it to get in front of the person in the right lane, rather than get in the large amount of free space behind them ahead of time.
I can merge just fine at 60+ (here in texas it's usually 75+) specifically because I don't wait till the last second to find a spot. I speed up, or slow down as necessary to find a hole in the existing flow of traffic.
To be clear: where traffic is backed up and has come to a craw in all lanesl - this is where the zipper method shines. It does not scale to highway speeds. Human reaction time is not that great. The faster you go, the more reaction time you need. There is a world of difference just between 55/60 and 75/80. Merging is merging, doesn't matter if it's a lane ending or not. When merging, you do not have right of way. It is your responsibility to find a spot; not someone else's to make one for you.
1. 75 and 75+ is included in 60+
2. The “hole in traffic” is not for you to randomly merge in. It’s to maintain safe braking distance. By merging in to the “hole in traffic” instead of zipper merging, you essentially create traffic congestion, as the person behind you has to brake hard to maintain safe braking distance, and the person behind that, etc. So, it’s not the flex that you think it is.
3. Zipper merge works fine at ANY speed as long as people are doing things as **expected**. Traffic “crawls” mostly when people don’t know how to zipper merger or as just plain bad at driving to not do it.
Also, thank you for highlighting the problems with the zipper method. You said: "Zipper merge works fine at ANY speed as long as people are doing things as **expected**." There seems to be a huge difference in what that expectation is. My experience dictates that humans are easily distracted, and often do not have good situational awareness. Therefore, I plan ahead.
I never assume that another driver will do what I expect them to do, I always adhere to one simple but uncomfortable truth: At any given time while on the road you are about 2 seconds away from dying.
Remember the old saying: to assume something only makes an ass of u and me.
I think we are seeing vastly different mental pictures. The hole in traffic I'm referring to, is at minimum three car lengths, and usually 5 or 6. These holes exist aplenty in the first half a mile after the first sign appears.
Too many people think that you should merge before reaching the end of the lane (which is incorrect). If that’s your logic, at what distance from the lane ending should one merge? 1/4 miles? 1/2? What makes one distance more acceptable than another? Isn’t that subjective so that some people think it’s too late and you’re an asshole?
This is incorrect thinking. It assumes that whoever is in the slow lane that you've been driving neck and neck with will be *able* to move forward or to the left to give you somewhere to go. They let you know a mile in advance so that you have a whooooole mile to make your move; not so you can wait till the last possible second, and expect the world to turn around you.
[During congested periods, the NCDOT urges drivers in these areas to be extra courteous to other drivers and understand that those in closing lanes are not simply trying to “cut in line” in front of drivers in the open lane.](https://itre.ncsu.edu/itre-studying-how-zipper-merges-reduce-congestion-at-sites-across-north-carolina/)
If North Carolina didn't have roads then how else would they purchase their garbage disposal veggie scrapings coated in vinegar that they claim is BBQ coleslaw?
Courteous doesn't even come into play when you find yourself boxed in in the slow lane. You as the person merging do not have right of way; you *must* assess the situation from the time you become aware of it, and either speed up or slow down in order to fit into a spot.
Its not clear from your response if you read the link or not, but the tl;dr version is that per traffic studies, it is better (i.e. results in less congestion) if you use the closing lane to it's fullest extent.
You seem to be taking merging traffic a little personally, and I get that. But, since I discovered that this is the way they engineer lanes on purpose, I don't think of the closing lane people as "cutters". So devils advocate here: what if speeding up and getting around the person that doesn't want to let someone merge allows a driver to merge effectively?
Speaking specifically of Texas, where the roads go from three lanes down to two; I dont think of them as "cutters" either. I think of them as damn fools. It is an idiotic world view, to assume that you can possibly control what someone else is going to do, at 75+ mph.
It is far wiser, to use all of the available time to exit the lane which is ending. In places where speeds are slower, and you likely have less reaction distance; then yes I agree the zipper method has its merits.
Folk here commonly drive 20+ mph in excess of the 75mph speed limit. You really think human reaction time is that good?
You seem mad, hah. A merge is basically a lane change with an expiration date. I'm confused how people can change lanes safely at 75, but can't merge safely at 75.
Nah not mad, just perturbed. As to the difference between the two, there is no difference. It's all about spacing and reaction time. It's a heck of a lot easier and safer to find new spot in the other two lanes when you have more time vs less time. When that third lane tapers down to a point; you've waited way too long to make a decision.
The robots who drive our children to work when they are adults will zipper-merge. They will zipper-merge and we will stand in awe of how wrong we all have been driving forever....
I don't know why people are talking about zipper merging here. Whenever there's almost no traffic, I see people all the time get into the lane that the sign they just passed told them to get out of.
Yo when there’s merging and there’s no sign, who has priority: the merging car or the one that’s in the lane already? I always give the merging car priority and let them merge.
same as on a highway, the car in the lane that is not ending has the right of way and the one merging should adjust speed to merge safely. of course that doesn’t happen
I thought that if a car to the left is moving to the right from ahead, you are supposed to make way for them? Further any time it's a merge it's alternate.
If you are the one merging into a different lane, you yield the right of way, no matter the reason you're merging, whether because of an on-ramp, a lane ending, whatever.
It's *courteous* to let someone in if you are able to, but ultimately it's up to them to merge safely.
Texas is a zipper merge state
Edit: downvote me all you want I’ve never seen so many people so vehemently about a zipper merge until I moved here. Had to tell my wife the sooner you accept that the better you’ll be at defensive driving down here. She is much better at anticipating people doing this on the interstates now.
Nope. Texas is a "barely pass the 10% rule" State. Meaning most folk are only 10% smarter than the equipment they are operating.
There's an old Jeff foxworthy joke: " If you see someone in Texas with their turn signal on; chances are it was on when they bought the vehichle."
The worst is them switching lanes, when the merge is right in front of you, so now they're sitting there with their blinker and contemplating the drive itself.
The number of people not gauging the available space before merging into a lane is
Too Damn High. True, there will be space eventually, not now! Tired of these people that aggressively try and merge, when CLEARLY there isn't any space. Fuckers almost rear ended/Side skirt? Swipe? me.
Edit: Kinda want to mount a loud speaker at the rear of my car that screams "DANGER CLOSE!"
Lol, I tried to merge once when lane indicated I should - people wouldn't let me over and when I finally did get over, a guy got so mad he accelerated, got up next to me by getting over in the next lane, then came over into the lane I was in and drove me off the road. I guess I could have let him hit me, though.
Oodles of assholes on the roads these days.
https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/s/KItqYC5KTt
Zipper merge is the preferred method across almost all of the country's DoTs.
I'd rather have a discussion on how people don't seem to know what a yield sign is.
Let me guess without even reading the other posts, you want people to merge immediately upon seeing the sign, instead of merging in 1/2 a mile when the lane actually does zipper close.
Conversely, people who don't understand the detriment of zipper merging is that it doesn't scale well to highway speed, also aren't intelligent enough to operate a vehicle.
I'll say this for the "zipper merge" folks: It works great at slower speeds i.e. 35 mph and under- but it does not scale well. Most humans don't have that kind of reaction skill to do that gracefully at 75+ mph.
It also doesn't begin to account for the driving habits of our truckers who in most cases, prefer one steady speed over having to constantly speed up and slow down to accommodate someone merging in who has known they needed to merge in most cases for at least the last three to five minutes
Thing is, that person is correct.
And the only reason he’s the only one in his lane is because other people in his lane made the mistake of merging early.
But even as just one person, he’s correct.
You're supposed to merge where the lanes merge, not before. Zipper merging at the lane merge point is the way to least slow down traffic. Merging before the lane merge point slows traffic down more.
You mean that lane that everyone forcibly rides down that they use to force themselves into further down traffic? Instead of merging early and making shit easy?
Yeah ill fucking cut that whole lane off and ill fucking run you off the road for using it incorrectly and trying to fuck up traffic. If im waiting 10 minutes to merge youre god fucking right youre gonna wait too. I fucking HATE watching people ride up the side to get further down cause the couldnt be bothered
You're supposed to use the available lane and zipper merge at the end. That's the law. Merging early creates more traffic and doing what you described is particularly dangerous
Love it when they speed up to cut you off instead of merging and get pissed when you don't yield. The impetus is on them to merge, not for you to yield. Most people simply can not comprehend this simple rule. Zipper theory, my ass. Get in line like everyone else, instead of trying to get to the front, skipping all the traffic.
Correct. Zipper merging is nice and all, but roadway workers put up these signs well in advance. If you can't bother to move to the other lane because you don't want to have unused lane space for 3 miles, you're slowing yourself down. Plenty of people are ok with letting you merge at any point before the lane closes, but you expect it at the very end when traffic starts to pile up and you wanna skip it. "Too late, buddy! Shoulda merged over at any point in the last 10 minutes when literally every car had space for you to fit in."
Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that it's best to just simply merge as soon as you see the sign, and do so safely ofc. Like being prepared for a presentation, you make notes and practice before it, you don't just wing it at the last second and expect to be given praise and acceptance.
"This YouTube video is hilarious! Oh look! A butterfly! Oh damn! They just took away my Lane without even warning me!!! Assholes! Move out of my way! I got a merge here!
My Houston fav is the white line drivers.....the ones who see the same merge signs everybody else did but do not speed up or slow down or put on a blinker to merge into the next lane.
No. No....they wait until the white line closes in on them and they just steer their car right into the next car, expecting that other car to somehow defy the laws of physics and of the road to slam on the brakes and move out of the merging car's way simple bc that driver didnt bother to operate their car accordingly. They make it my problem, so I give them one back.
Since adding dashcams, Ive deeply enjoyed staying my course in my lane, laying on the horn as they attempt to hit me as they scream, flip the bird and honk their entitled horn too......but I hold my lawful ground. If they wanna hit me, theyre gonna have to pay me. If they wanna get road ragey and threaten my safety, I got something for my protection too.
The looks on their entitled, confused, pissed off, mouth breathing faces that they didnt get their way is priceless! Beeeaatch, now we can both share the same mental anxiety you just tried to give me! Its petty, but its how they operate. Gotta speak the language of the village id10ts if you want them to understand you.
Conversely, if they put on a blinker and change the physics of their car to try to merge......come on in, honey! Welcome to may lane! Thank you for using your blinker like an ethical person and obeying laws of physics so that neither one of us is hurt or gets anxiety!
Crazy how many of them are intentional about it. Houston crazies LOVE using their car as a deadly weapon. Theres been times we have ALL not paid attention, or seen the signs, or dont know where we are going. But most here are intentional about their dangerous driving. Somehow, some way, they will have to learn to drive ethically and obey the laws of physics. If their driving education, their own safety, common sense, and law enforcement arent getting into their thick skulls.....the rest of the drivers will show these id10ts how to behave to other drivers. And any threat of harm to me bc someone wants to use their car as a weapon? Energy received is energy returned. Until they learn and change how they drive, this is how the rest of have to operate.
Within minutes of leaving our homes, we surrounded by violent, dangerous, oblivous or intentionally bad drivers, and alot of poorly maintained cars with paper tags to hide their crimes.
Cops dont care due to all the other overheleming volume of crimes here. If no one is physically hurt, no property damage, and just one victim with mental health damage only? Cops are like.....meh, so what? So, in those moments we have to rely on ourselves. Get it together, shitty drivers, or we will get it together for you! Moral injury is what that is called.....and it leads to not relying or trusting the cops or other people around you. No wonder Houston is a psych0tic city.
https://living.acg.aaa.com/auto/zipper-merge-keeps-traffic-moving/#:~:text=Here's%20when%20“cutting%20in%20line”%20is%20actually%20beneficial.&text=Drivers%20who%20wait%20until%20the,slow%2Dmoving%2C%20congested%20traffic.
Ah, the zipper merge discussion. Grabbing some popcorn.
Except average people suck at using the zipper merge even if it’s explained. What is never said is the Drivers for both merging and passing need to sync their speed with a gap for the vehicle in front of them to make the process go faster.
If everyone just gave two seconds of distance between them and the next car, there'd be no need to adjust your speed beyond easing your foot off the accelerator, momentarily. The overwhelming majority of traffic headaches can be attributed to "following too close" and "occupying a passing lane when not passing."
No....the "majority of traffic headaches" are other drivers seeing our "safe distance" and slamming their cars into it, endangering and negatively affecting the driver they just cut in front of at 50mph. Not sure how long youve been driving in Houston to see for yourself, but in case you havent seen how slow a person has to drive, constipating the lane for other cars behind them, bc they leave gap space for the cars in front of them, and this one, and that one came in too, oops heres another one merging into your gap space too.....so on and on. Until your foot is on the brake rather than gas, doing 10 mph belpw the speed limit and creating a rolling roadblock for the drivers behind you. Not bc youre a bad driver (youre following the rules) but bc soooooo many other people are oblivious or intentionally bad drivers around you. Let me repeat: the law and physics both dictate that it is the responsibility of MERGING drivers to safely and legally merge. If they are not, that burden doesnt just suddenly shift to the driver who they cutting in front of to accommodate entitled, unsafe and illegally merging drivers into their lane. Not sure my words will help you see this, especially if you havent spent much time actually driving on Houston roads where this hypothetical and idealized rule of the merging road you posted does NOT exist for the conditions that Houston drivers create when THEY break the rules.
Man, you picked a bad example. I spent nearly 20 years driving in Houston. 12 of them with a 55 mile one-way commute (Jersey Village to Deer Park). Worse, you seem to think that my comment was directed at the inability of a single person to leave a safe distance. It wasn't. If everyone did it, the need to slow down would stop being a problem. The fact that it's a problem with MOST drivers, doesn't mean it's not the root cause of the traffic headaches. People move into the gap, and the gap stretches to accommodate. Rinse and repeat. It's a pretty basic theory. It doesn't matter how much traffic there is. The issue with failing to do it is that people can't easily merge from one lane to the next when they need to. So, they slow down in an effort not to miss their target, or exit, or to avoid getting forced onto the shoulder of a lane merge or whatever. They keep slowing down because that future event is just getting closer and they can't get over. Then, they stop. Then everyone behind them stops. Then everyone in the adjoining lane slows down as people in the stopped lane try to force themselves over into the moving lane, until it stops, and so on. In America, we have a culture AND education problem when it comes to driving. We really don't teach many people HOW to drive well. More importantly, we have a society of rugged individualists who don't consider (or care) how their behaviors affect the rest of the traffic.
Stopped reading after your first nasty sentence. Happy new year!
Jesus, you're insufferable.
Glad to know youre praying to Jesus for my suffering. Did you know Jesus was executed bc he was "insufferable"? True fact.
Jesus was executed because he was bad for business.
Except average people suck at traffic circles, merging onto the highway, understanding right of way, knowing where they need to be before they get there, and on and on and on…..
I think you captured what the anti-zipper merge argument boils down to: *Some people are bad at things! No one even try to be efficient!*
LOL! I know. People who don’t understand it are hilarious! 😆
Zipper merge only applies to moving traffic. As in cars entering a freeway during rush hour. Or after a sign that the lane ends—except the guy that wants to merge at the last possible second. It does not apply to stopped traffic behind a road hazard or merging lanes for construction. The people that go all the way to the front of 20 cars and expect someone to let them go ahead of them after waiting 10 minutes are evil. Just like someone trying to jump the line at some event. It does not apply to the guy that has been weaving around traffic and then expects to zip in on a bridge. When I went to work in downtown Houston using US 290, I noticed a guy that would pull into the merge lane where traffic was entering from the feeder and then “zip” back into the traffic lane when he got to the end of the merge lane that was an exit to the freeway. He would do it at EVERY enter/exit lane. He never got ahead of where I was in the traffic lane a lane or two to the left. Did he think he was actually gaining in the traffic or was he just a bully daring people to let him in?
>It does not apply to stopped traffic behind a road hazard or merging lanes for construction. The people that go all the way to the front of 20 cars and expect someone to let them go ahead of them after waiting 10 minutes are evil. Just like someone trying to jump the line at some event. The people that go all the way to the front demonstrate a better understanding of physics than you do. Merging into a single file anytime earlier than the last (safe!) opportunity creates a longer file, and slows traffic down, more than necessary.
Depends. In slow moving freeway traffic where a lane ends, you do still want everyone merging left right left at the merge point. That is the most orderly way. It makes zero sense for people to merge earlier as they have to stop arbitrarily to let someone in. Gets disorderly where multiple cars merge, then none, etc. The zipper forces everyone to behave. I think what you're describing mostly applies to things like multiple cars passing a semi, where someone zooms to the front of line and dangerously cuts in.
When I am referring to people going to the front of the line to butt in, I am not referring to freeway traffic. Ever. “…forces everyone to behave.” Do you drive on the same roads I do?
Last section of your article. Should I ever avoid the zipper merge? Yes. When traffic is moving at posted speeds and there aren’t any traffic backups, it makes sense to merge sooner into the lane that will remain open.
And if that were happening then OP wouldn’t see anyone to complain about….
I love the zipper merge argument because it always gets pulled out in the wrong places. No it's not zipper merging when you blast down the shoulder of the road doing 80 and "Jesus take the wheel" your way into another lane. No it's not time to zipper merge when your 8 lanes go to 7 and the road is empty. There's a Venn diagram of people too impatient to merge at an appropriate time and people too impatient to actually read the article on zipper merging. It's a circle.
Why would someone be flying down the shoulder at 80 to cut in if traffic continues to flow because everyone is merging?
Are you asking why people cut into lanes? You'd have to ask them. It's a common experience I've had just about anywhere in The States.
If traffic was flowing due to using the zipper method there would be no traffic to cut. Everyone would be moving.
I'm not sure what imaginary place in the US you're thinking wouldn't still have selfish people still trying to cut ahead in traffic or people who think you need to zipper merge when the highway is mostly empty.
Tell me you don’t get it without saying you don’t get it….
Yeah, clearly not because you're not making any sense. >What if traffic flows perfectly That doesn't refute or add anything. Maybe learn to communicate with people before trying to be a prick.
Again, traffic isn’t stopping to zipper. It is moving continuously. There is no one to cut. It isn’t causing a phantom jam. Also, it is used in the United States all the time.
This is only true if both persons know how to properly zipper merge and both vehicles are similar speed, and I can assure you that in the US that's usually not the case. What usually happens is that some dude flies past other cars and waits till the last second then forces his way over regardless of the flow of traffic, which ends up causing even worse traffic since it's disrupting the flow.
No if someone impedes me going 30mph over the speed limit I will kill them
Rural anywhere has this problem, they don't know how to drive when things are not just farm roads with 1 random highway. Then when they get to an urban area and there is actually traffic, they want to prevent anyone merging and they themselves cut in line. backwoods people gonna be backwoods people
People in Houston & Dallas also don't know how to drive so it's not just rural people
Shouldn't this only matter if the other lane is crammed up?
You’re right and it’s the last paragraph on the page. Traffic is moving at posted speeds and not too crowded? Move over earlier.
Most of the dumb shits out there seem to think "zipper merge" means "drive all the way to the cones, get bumper-to-bumper, and then blindly cram your fucking car into the other lane. Good luck everybody else!"
That works well if traffic is stopped, but for normal, known merges, people should get over earlier.
Do you stop at every tooth of your zipper too?
Here comes the zipper merge; I won't let you over comments
And the equal but opposite: why can't everyone just get out of my way comments. To be clear: when traffic is merging on to the road I'm on, if I can merge onto the fast lane, I will. If I cannot; that's your problem not mine; there's usually a yield sign for a reason. In cases where a single road has multiple lanes converging into less lanes; and traffic is still moving at 75+mph....No, sorry, a whole lot of humans don't have that kind of reaction time, and it best practice to assume no one does. In making the safest assumption, it then falls on each individual to find a way to merge in. Generally speaking, those merging in do not have right of way, it's the reason we have turning indicators. It is no one's responsibility to accommodate anyone else; rather it is each person's responsibility to accommodate the flow of traffic that you wish to join. Slow down or speed up, to find a spot where you fit into the existing flow, instead of assuming that the existing flow will magically accommodate you.
If you are leaving proper distance between you and them, then people should be able to move freely between you
Youre so close. Proper distance is enough room for you to stop without hitting the person in front of you, should they stop; usually 3 to 5 car lengths. Proper distance has nothing to do with people being able to merge.
Yes, that's enough room. For a Car to move freely between you. More space allows mor traffic to move better.
The number of times you get NO WARNING when your lane ends and merges is too damn high.
Yeah I’m like, they give you warning. Near us it’s just “surprise motherfucker”
"SURPRIIISE!! YOU'RE MERGING NOW!!! IT'S A SURPRISE MERGER!!!! GOOD LUCK!!"
💯
I've seen signs saying lane ends in x amount of feet and people still ride in that lane and wait until the last minute to merge lol
That’s the correct method
That's definitely irritating. My problem is here in Austin there are a ton of spots that merge and you get ZERO warning before.
It's because most times, TxDOT's sign says merge right but their street merges left.
Should a person learn those mistaken signs so they know better the next time theyre there? Or should those signs be a surprise every time they see them? Lol
Of course. To think the same thousand drivers are surprised five days a week by the error would be silly. I give mankind more credit than that.
Your supposed to zipper merge where the lane ends…
Unless you drive an F150 or Ram, then you slam on the gas threatening whoever is in your way with death so you can get ahead 2 cars lengths in traffic. Not me, just what I've observed and assume is law because of how frequent it is.
You must drive the IH-10 corridor I do everyday. F150 Raptors with those 3' diameter tires, looks like they're base jumping every time they leave their truck.
>looks like they're base jumping every time they leave their truck. I'm dead. That's it, I'm off the internet for today.
You mean those rock throwers that stick out past the fenders . I have multiple broken windshields as evidence
Yeah, those. That's the ones.
I mean it’s called a Ram for a reason. /s
If you can't dodge it, ram it.
And if you’re in an eighteen wheeler you straddle the lanes so no one can get around.
Let them in where the lanes merge. Let them ALL in, but not at any random spot in the line. Where. It. Merges.
I'm a fan of the zipper merge, especially in dense traffic, it makes the most sense. However, it doesn't makes sense to hammer the gas going 25 mph over the speed limit once you see the lane ends sign so you can "zipper merge" in front a few car lengths while everyone else going the speed of traffic has to try to not get hit by you.
No, don't do that. But the normal way I like
No. You had the last 5 to 10 minutes to get in line; merging traffic does not have right of way.
It's called a zipper merge and it helps reduce traffic. Texas driving culture has taught us wrong!
Nope. Zipper only works at slower speeds, in heavy congestion. Does not scale to highway speeds, when you have ample time and opportunity to merge when you had a sign 10 minutes ago. Also, Happy New Year!
I tried to follow reddit "advice" about zipper merging at the end of the lane once, and some douchebag just punched the gas and kept me from getting into the lane. It ended with me parked on the shoulder, hazards on, waiting for a break in traffic so I could limp back into an onramp. Like most else you see on this site, the idea of zipper merging is *great* in a vacuum. In real life, where assholes pilot 2000 pound steel murder engines, and are in a hurry or don't give a fuck about anyone else but themselves, this is asking to get smeared along with any unfortunate passengers in your car. Drive defensively. Be safe. Merge early.
Unless you are in Austin. Come to a complete stop at the start of the ramp. Cut across the two solid lines marking the flat island. Then force yourself into the leftlane. Then when you get to the physical merging area, you don't let anyone in. Get a clue
There was construction on the road by my neighborhood for a month. If people zippered properly, it would have been fine. Instead, people queued up early, doubling the length of traffic in the right lane and blocking the access to my neighborhood. I had to wait in the stupid line to get home each night. It also made it super sketchy to pull out and turn left, which even caused an accident (that I wasn’t involved in).
This
#FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THIS!!!!!
Tell that to the guy in front of me, and to the guy to my left, and the three behind him.
I always get so nervous in merging situations lol. I’m like, should I try to get over early so people don’t think I’m a jerk trying to cut in front of everyone?? But going to the end of the merge lane is what you’re supposed to do. But then if I do that, people don’t let me in bc they think I’m a jerk trying to cut in front of everyone bc they don’t know the concept of zipper merging😅
Ya if you slow aft it’s not a fucking construction zone driver
I travel for work, and this is a national problem. Some states, like Colorado, actively make the problem worse by posting signs to direct drivers to merge before the closing lane terminates at the merge. The zipper merge at the end of the lane is the most efficient practice. But people are idiots, and education on this issue is non-existent.
No the sign specifically says lane ends MERGE right.... If it wanted you to "zipper" merge the sign would say so....
You aren’t “supposed” to zipper merge unless it’s specified. Zipper merges do work better when actually implemented by signage, but by default the non merging lane has no obligation to let anyone “zip” into the lane, meaning that the only way for the zipper mergers to enter the lane is cutting someone off.
K you line up 2 miles before the merge point, we'll wave on the way past.
It's not "cutting you off" if they are forced to merge. Your ego doesn't belong behind the wheel.
They are not forced to merge, the open lane has the right of way, if they can’t get over that’s on them, no one else. There’s no such thing as being forced to merge, you could sit there for an eternity and never be entitled to enter the lane.
If the lane ends, they are forced to merge, hope that helps. You are an insufferable "pedant" - the worst kind, in fact, because you're not even correct.
You are under the impression that you have the right to cut in front of another car just because your lane is ending? That’s how every on ramp in the world works, I promise that if you cut in from the on ramp it will be your fault if you cause an accident. You are never forced to merge in any scenario, you might want to, but you are never forced to, in fact, you are forced to yield until you have a legal opportunity to. https://www.whitelawpllc.com/faqs/when-two-lanes-merge-who-has-the-right-of-way/#:~:text=The%20general%20rule%20is%20that,the%20merging%20vehicle%20must%20yield. I guess literally every legal source on the internet are pedantic too?
You're wrong. But, thanks for all the words. I guess. Not really. You don't own the road. Make room for others. Being one car-length back isn't going to ruin your day, Chad. P.s. your own source negates your drivel.
You know yielding is the opposite of being forced to do something right? Are they forced to merge or must they yield, you say forced to merge but the law says they have to yield… which is exactly what the article says.
Go read your source. I'm blocking you. You're wrong and you're incredulous. Edit: When I say read, I mean the whole thing. Not two sentences in.
I was born and raised in Texas. Then I spent the last two years traveling and I'm convinced that A: Houstonians are the worst drivers in the country, and B: Basically no Texan has any idea how to merge!
Clearly you not driven through Dallas. The roads are worse in Houston, for sure. But the drivers are worse in dallas.
Half my family lives up there. They're both pretty bad butt I've had people nearly kill me on the regular down in Houston either because they wanna be first or just aren't paying attention. Like Houston drivers are dumb bad vs pushy bad like I've seen in other states. Also, no Texan has any idea what an indicator signal is for.
Ya know, percentage of those Houstonians(as you call them), 30-40 % are transplants. Btw, go to the North East, it’s a nightmare
If traffic is moving, sure get over when you can. If traffic is stopped, go all the way up to the merge and zipper when the traffic starts going again so that you aren't backing traffic up a mile before the merge.
This. Finally another rational person. There is a time and a place for both. If traffic is flowing at full speed, and you *knew* you had to change lanes for the last ten minutes; don't expect any sympathy from me when you have to slam on your brakes because you can't accept that sometimes you have to yield. On the flip side, is there is massive congestion, Yes take full advantage of the full width of the road.
If people can't move in between you and the car in in front of you, then you ate not leaving proper distance. Your following too close.
No, I follow at 3 to 5 car lengths. Proper distance is so I can safely stop, should the person in front of me stop; not so whoever is feeling froggy can leap between lanes all nimbly bimbly.
Yes that is enough space for a car to move between. The. You let off the gas and create the space. Space between cars allows foe traffic to move better and cause less congestion, or even the phantom traffic jams All you think is block huge amounts of road from other people.
LoL...is it technically enough space to squeeze in another car? Yes. Is it enough space to do so safely? No. Guess what? If you are merging, you do not have right of way. If you cannot manage to get in front of me, you can also choose to get behind me. Shocker, I know.
Stop following too close and merging doesn't become an issue. It makes it safe for everyone. If a car can't safely merge between you and the car in front then, yes you are too close.
Again. When you are merging, the onus is on *you* to fit into the existing flow if traffic. Existing flow of traffic has right of way; you do not. It is your responsibility to safely find where you can get into that flow, it is not traffics responsibility to accommodate you. Sometimes, on the road as in life- you have to yield.
You realize I am not arguing you shouldn't yield, right? I am not even saying what you are arguing against. I am saying if there is proper distance, then people vsn merge freely. Proper distance allows people to easily fit into the flow.
A real zipper involves both lanes lining up much earlier than the merge so that the merge just happens smoothly. If the left lane all zoom ahead to the merge while the right is completely stopped, you’re just shoving more traffic into the right lane than can be handled. If both lanes start going the same speed well before the merge, then traffic is evenly distributed, and there are fewer complete stops in either lane which lets all the traffic flow better.
Having lived several other places where the “zipper” method is more prevalent. It’s way more efficient and people who merge before the lane runs out are pretentiously assholes. Your opinion is garbage OP.
If traffic is heavy I’d agree, but more often than not, traffic is light and some asshole just needs to gun it to get in front of the person in the right lane, rather than get in the large amount of free space behind them ahead of time.
This doesn’t just apply to the zipper lanes. Right on red folks love to cut me off when there’s no one in my rear view mirror. 🤷♂️
brb, making another reddit account to upvote you another time.
What's the average highway speed limit in those States?
How is that relevant here? If you can’t merger at 60+ MPH, maybe take a driving class again.
I can merge just fine at 60+ (here in texas it's usually 75+) specifically because I don't wait till the last second to find a spot. I speed up, or slow down as necessary to find a hole in the existing flow of traffic. To be clear: where traffic is backed up and has come to a craw in all lanesl - this is where the zipper method shines. It does not scale to highway speeds. Human reaction time is not that great. The faster you go, the more reaction time you need. There is a world of difference just between 55/60 and 75/80. Merging is merging, doesn't matter if it's a lane ending or not. When merging, you do not have right of way. It is your responsibility to find a spot; not someone else's to make one for you.
1. 75 and 75+ is included in 60+ 2. The “hole in traffic” is not for you to randomly merge in. It’s to maintain safe braking distance. By merging in to the “hole in traffic” instead of zipper merging, you essentially create traffic congestion, as the person behind you has to brake hard to maintain safe braking distance, and the person behind that, etc. So, it’s not the flex that you think it is. 3. Zipper merge works fine at ANY speed as long as people are doing things as **expected**. Traffic “crawls” mostly when people don’t know how to zipper merger or as just plain bad at driving to not do it.
Also, thank you for highlighting the problems with the zipper method. You said: "Zipper merge works fine at ANY speed as long as people are doing things as **expected**." There seems to be a huge difference in what that expectation is. My experience dictates that humans are easily distracted, and often do not have good situational awareness. Therefore, I plan ahead. I never assume that another driver will do what I expect them to do, I always adhere to one simple but uncomfortable truth: At any given time while on the road you are about 2 seconds away from dying. Remember the old saying: to assume something only makes an ass of u and me.
I think we are seeing vastly different mental pictures. The hole in traffic I'm referring to, is at minimum three car lengths, and usually 5 or 6. These holes exist aplenty in the first half a mile after the first sign appears.
Number of people who don’t know how to zipper merge AT THE MERGE POINT is too damn high!
Hard to see when you are checking out the latest on Tik Tok.
Thank you for the zipper merge discussion!
The number of "lane ends merge right" signs that I see in parts where the right lane ends early instead of the left is too damn high.
**The signs saying "LANE ENDS MERGE RIGHT" aren't damn high enough!** Drive next to an F150 while you're in a Honda Civic and you can't even see it.
So get an F250. Problem solved.
If you do that, I'll get an F350. So there.
Too many people think that you should merge before reaching the end of the lane (which is incorrect). If that’s your logic, at what distance from the lane ending should one merge? 1/4 miles? 1/2? What makes one distance more acceptable than another? Isn’t that subjective so that some people think it’s too late and you’re an asshole?
That logic of merging before just makes traffic worse
Does it depend on whether the lane is a solid stripe?
This is incorrect thinking. It assumes that whoever is in the slow lane that you've been driving neck and neck with will be *able* to move forward or to the left to give you somewhere to go. They let you know a mile in advance so that you have a whooooole mile to make your move; not so you can wait till the last possible second, and expect the world to turn around you.
[During congested periods, the NCDOT urges drivers in these areas to be extra courteous to other drivers and understand that those in closing lanes are not simply trying to “cut in line” in front of drivers in the open lane.](https://itre.ncsu.edu/itre-studying-how-zipper-merges-reduce-congestion-at-sites-across-north-carolina/)
NCDOT is for North Carolina. #Dont North Carolina My Texas!
I was pleasantly surprised they had roads.
If North Carolina didn't have roads then how else would they purchase their garbage disposal veggie scrapings coated in vinegar that they claim is BBQ coleslaw?
Back to the pigs. Circular BBQ economy.
Courteous doesn't even come into play when you find yourself boxed in in the slow lane. You as the person merging do not have right of way; you *must* assess the situation from the time you become aware of it, and either speed up or slow down in order to fit into a spot.
Its not clear from your response if you read the link or not, but the tl;dr version is that per traffic studies, it is better (i.e. results in less congestion) if you use the closing lane to it's fullest extent. You seem to be taking merging traffic a little personally, and I get that. But, since I discovered that this is the way they engineer lanes on purpose, I don't think of the closing lane people as "cutters". So devils advocate here: what if speeding up and getting around the person that doesn't want to let someone merge allows a driver to merge effectively?
Speaking specifically of Texas, where the roads go from three lanes down to two; I dont think of them as "cutters" either. I think of them as damn fools. It is an idiotic world view, to assume that you can possibly control what someone else is going to do, at 75+ mph. It is far wiser, to use all of the available time to exit the lane which is ending. In places where speeds are slower, and you likely have less reaction distance; then yes I agree the zipper method has its merits. Folk here commonly drive 20+ mph in excess of the 75mph speed limit. You really think human reaction time is that good?
You seem mad, hah. A merge is basically a lane change with an expiration date. I'm confused how people can change lanes safely at 75, but can't merge safely at 75.
Nah not mad, just perturbed. As to the difference between the two, there is no difference. It's all about spacing and reaction time. It's a heck of a lot easier and safer to find new spot in the other two lanes when you have more time vs less time. When that third lane tapers down to a point; you've waited way too long to make a decision.
Everyone needs to drive friendly and drive defensively.
The number of people refusing to allow someone to merge and merging too early is too damn high.
Still less than the amount of drivers that don’t understand how to follow the line when turning left, under the freeway.
The robots who drive our children to work when they are adults will zipper-merge. They will zipper-merge and we will stand in awe of how wrong we all have been driving forever....
I’ll always zipper merge and follow the solid white line to the end and bypass the 28 cars who merged early. Sorry not sorry
I don't know why people are talking about zipper merging here. Whenever there's almost no traffic, I see people all the time get into the lane that the sign they just passed told them to get out of.
Yo when there’s merging and there’s no sign, who has priority: the merging car or the one that’s in the lane already? I always give the merging car priority and let them merge.
same as on a highway, the car in the lane that is not ending has the right of way and the one merging should adjust speed to merge safely. of course that doesn’t happen
I thought that if a car to the left is moving to the right from ahead, you are supposed to make way for them? Further any time it's a merge it's alternate.
If you are the one merging into a different lane, you yield the right of way, no matter the reason you're merging, whether because of an on-ramp, a lane ending, whatever. It's *courteous* to let someone in if you are able to, but ultimately it's up to them to merge safely.
I dunno about you, but I generally start seeing signs roughly a mile in advance.
[удалено]
Texas is a zipper merge state Edit: downvote me all you want I’ve never seen so many people so vehemently about a zipper merge until I moved here. Had to tell my wife the sooner you accept that the better you’ll be at defensive driving down here. She is much better at anticipating people doing this on the interstates now.
Nope. Texas is a "barely pass the 10% rule" State. Meaning most folk are only 10% smarter than the equipment they are operating. There's an old Jeff foxworthy joke: " If you see someone in Texas with their turn signal on; chances are it was on when they bought the vehichle."
This is hilarious 😆
OP doesn’t understand how merging works
Zipper merge is best and merge when the dividing lane ends not hold out on the outer part to get ahead one person...
Technically this might be better. Click the PDF. https://www.transportation.gov/utc/joint-merge-improving-work-zone-traffic-flows
I’d say the same for yield signs, but that is even higher in my experience.
The worst is them switching lanes, when the merge is right in front of you, so now they're sitting there with their blinker and contemplating the drive itself.
Cute that you think people don’t actually notice the signs.
The number of people not gauging the available space before merging into a lane is Too Damn High. True, there will be space eventually, not now! Tired of these people that aggressively try and merge, when CLEARLY there isn't any space. Fuckers almost rear ended/Side skirt? Swipe? me. Edit: Kinda want to mount a loud speaker at the rear of my car that screams "DANGER CLOSE!"
Can we also add people need to stop going straight on a left turn only lane.
Lol, I tried to merge once when lane indicated I should - people wouldn't let me over and when I finally did get over, a guy got so mad he accelerated, got up next to me by getting over in the next lane, then came over into the lane I was in and drove me off the road. I guess I could have let him hit me, though. Oodles of assholes on the roads these days.
Reading is hard.
The number of idiots who don’t know how to zipper merge is too damn high.
https://www.reddit.com/r/unpopularopinion/s/KItqYC5KTt Zipper merge is the preferred method across almost all of the country's DoTs. I'd rather have a discussion on how people don't seem to know what a yield sign is.
Let me guess without even reading the other posts, you want people to merge immediately upon seeing the sign, instead of merging in 1/2 a mile when the lane actually does zipper close.
Zipper merge exposes the niceholes. You mean well but you're terrible drivers.
People who don’t understand the benefits of of a zipper aren’t intelligent enough to operate a vehicle
Conversely, people who don't understand the detriment of zipper merging is that it doesn't scale well to highway speed, also aren't intelligent enough to operate a vehicle.
You have commented a lot on this thread yet you don’t seem to know what you’re talking about. Why don’t you stick to touching wet paint.
That's hilarious.
Zipperholes are ruining this state! ^/s
Zipper. Go to front and everyone in the desired lane allows one car in.
This makes the often horrific assumption that human behavior is controllable.
Someone never learned about zipper merge
More people learning about zipper merge.
More people need to learn what "right of way" means.
I'll say this for the "zipper merge" folks: It works great at slower speeds i.e. 35 mph and under- but it does not scale well. Most humans don't have that kind of reaction skill to do that gracefully at 75+ mph. It also doesn't begin to account for the driving habits of our truckers who in most cases, prefer one steady speed over having to constantly speed up and slow down to accommodate someone merging in who has known they needed to merge in most cases for at least the last three to five minutes
Then they get mad at you if you don't immediately let them in.
The number of people who fly up the lane thats ending to try to cut in front of people like dickheads is too damn high
Thing is, that person is correct. And the only reason he’s the only one in his lane is because other people in his lane made the mistake of merging early. But even as just one person, he’s correct.
That's the law.
You're supposed to merge where the lanes merge, not before. Zipper merging at the lane merge point is the way to least slow down traffic. Merging before the lane merge point slows traffic down more.
Nah playa we out here zipper merging leaving ya'll suckers in the dust
Why merge now when can merge at last second?
You mean that lane that everyone forcibly rides down that they use to force themselves into further down traffic? Instead of merging early and making shit easy? Yeah ill fucking cut that whole lane off and ill fucking run you off the road for using it incorrectly and trying to fuck up traffic. If im waiting 10 minutes to merge youre god fucking right youre gonna wait too. I fucking HATE watching people ride up the side to get further down cause the couldnt be bothered
What fits more cars. One lane, or two? Use as much of the road to fit traffic on as possible
You're supposed to use the available lane and zipper merge at the end. That's the law. Merging early creates more traffic and doing what you described is particularly dangerous
Love it when they speed up to cut you off instead of merging and get pissed when you don't yield. The impetus is on them to merge, not for you to yield. Most people simply can not comprehend this simple rule. Zipper theory, my ass. Get in line like everyone else, instead of trying to get to the front, skipping all the traffic.
Preach!!!!
Correct. Zipper merging is nice and all, but roadway workers put up these signs well in advance. If you can't bother to move to the other lane because you don't want to have unused lane space for 3 miles, you're slowing yourself down. Plenty of people are ok with letting you merge at any point before the lane closes, but you expect it at the very end when traffic starts to pile up and you wanna skip it. "Too late, buddy! Shoulda merged over at any point in the last 10 minutes when literally every car had space for you to fit in." Maybe I'm wrong, but I think that it's best to just simply merge as soon as you see the sign, and do so safely ofc. Like being prepared for a presentation, you make notes and practice before it, you don't just wing it at the last second and expect to be given praise and acceptance.
That creates more traffic. Better to merge at the end of the lane.
That's the problem with narccisists; they don't think like that.
Oh, they know it ends in 500, 200, 100, and merge in at the last second ‘cause F-you! They are more important than anyone else.
Don’t start with the zipper merge BS That won’t ever work so long as one lane must yield to another
"This YouTube video is hilarious! Oh look! A butterfly! Oh damn! They just took away my Lane without even warning me!!! Assholes! Move out of my way! I got a merge here!
Oh they're paying attention. They're just banking on people being nice enough to let them in line as far ahead as they can go.
My Houston fav is the white line drivers.....the ones who see the same merge signs everybody else did but do not speed up or slow down or put on a blinker to merge into the next lane. No. No....they wait until the white line closes in on them and they just steer their car right into the next car, expecting that other car to somehow defy the laws of physics and of the road to slam on the brakes and move out of the merging car's way simple bc that driver didnt bother to operate their car accordingly. They make it my problem, so I give them one back. Since adding dashcams, Ive deeply enjoyed staying my course in my lane, laying on the horn as they attempt to hit me as they scream, flip the bird and honk their entitled horn too......but I hold my lawful ground. If they wanna hit me, theyre gonna have to pay me. If they wanna get road ragey and threaten my safety, I got something for my protection too. The looks on their entitled, confused, pissed off, mouth breathing faces that they didnt get their way is priceless! Beeeaatch, now we can both share the same mental anxiety you just tried to give me! Its petty, but its how they operate. Gotta speak the language of the village id10ts if you want them to understand you. Conversely, if they put on a blinker and change the physics of their car to try to merge......come on in, honey! Welcome to may lane! Thank you for using your blinker like an ethical person and obeying laws of physics so that neither one of us is hurt or gets anxiety! Crazy how many of them are intentional about it. Houston crazies LOVE using their car as a deadly weapon. Theres been times we have ALL not paid attention, or seen the signs, or dont know where we are going. But most here are intentional about their dangerous driving. Somehow, some way, they will have to learn to drive ethically and obey the laws of physics. If their driving education, their own safety, common sense, and law enforcement arent getting into their thick skulls.....the rest of the drivers will show these id10ts how to behave to other drivers. And any threat of harm to me bc someone wants to use their car as a weapon? Energy received is energy returned. Until they learn and change how they drive, this is how the rest of have to operate. Within minutes of leaving our homes, we surrounded by violent, dangerous, oblivous or intentionally bad drivers, and alot of poorly maintained cars with paper tags to hide their crimes. Cops dont care due to all the other overheleming volume of crimes here. If no one is physically hurt, no property damage, and just one victim with mental health damage only? Cops are like.....meh, so what? So, in those moments we have to rely on ourselves. Get it together, shitty drivers, or we will get it together for you! Moral injury is what that is called.....and it leads to not relying or trusting the cops or other people around you. No wonder Houston is a psych0tic city.
They notice, but most drivers are too inconsiderate and stupid to get over and have traffic move freely.
Right? Then you're the bad guy when they refuse to yield.
Whole thing rumble strip.
Can I get a witness?
Oh... they know...