If you’re old enough to drive you know merging can cause major traffic if there’s drivers who don’t know what they’re doing. Everyone has their way to merge into traffic whether it’s signaling and getting in the other lane right away or taking advantage of the open lane ahead and then getting over in front of everyone else.
A lot of people go the first route but you always have that guy that races down the empty lane or even in the shoulder to get to the merge and cut everyone who’s been waiting in line off. Well, studies show that that guy might be doing it right. When drivers get over immediately it causes the line to back up and even accidents as impatient drivers try to squeeze their way in. The “zipper method” as it’s called is technically the right way to do it. With this method, driver fill up both lanes and when it comes time to merge, drivers take turns letting a driver go from each lane. So what’s your merging style?
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This is complete bullshit. You’re saying it’s ok for ignorant people to cut in line while others get in the lane they are supposed to be in. It’s not fair.
Its a jerk move period. Get in line.
Merging requires the zipper method but the sooner you do it the smoother it is because there is ore room to make lane changes and it is less congested. The only reason traffic managers want all lanes to be used is when there is a space constraint, i.e. there isn't room for miles of single-file traffic backed up , impacting an intersection upstream. In these situations everyone is already at a crawl anyway. But on a highway that stretches for miles, if you expect to drive up on the right lane to get past miles of people waiting for an avalanche or wrecked car to get cleared, you're just another asshole, face it. It doesn't speed up traffic, it just all about you.
It's right, but until it's taught, it comes off as rude or entitled which ticks off a lot of people. Maybe in time.
So they're trying to tell us that when a car flies past and merges last second that is saving us time? If you ever actually watch how it goes down in reality, the car merging and the car letting the merger in both tend to slow way down almost to a stop depending on traffic flow. Then, you see the brake lights ripple down the que of cars. The traffic was moving, but then some idiot interrupts the flow because they couldn't wake up on time and is now in a panic to get to work.
What the person should have done, was synchronize himself with the other lane way ahead of the merge point, and politely move in so that there is minimal braking involved. If everyone just slowed down and gave each other some following distance, there would be less congestion.
This is only effective if buffer space between vehicles is maintained. Also, if you SEE a sign saying your lane is closed ahead (usually within a mile or two), you SHOULD take the opportunity to merge BEFORE you get to the merge point. Common sense, people.
I know it's right. This is actually the law in Germany. The problem is most Americans don't know how to drive. Licensing in America is very lax compared to other countries. I think that's the biggest problem. We essentially hand out licenses to just about anyone these days.
It's right but people usually don't let you in so you have to merge early