Merging into traffic? You're doing it wrong
- Thread starter RoseRed
- Start date
glhs837
Power with Control
http://forums.somd.com/threads/284732-Lets-all-do-the-zipper-merge!!!!?highlight=zipper+merge
Was a good idea then, still a good idea now. Locally, it seems to work pretty well at the 4/235 North intersection. And the Rt 5 north of the Great Mills Road merge seems to work the zipper pretty well also. The key for thos who do merge early is as you approach the end of the lane, start dropping back a bit, leave that space in front of you for a zipper merger to use. Keeps speeds up, and tempers down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCLF2tyW0TU
Was a good idea then, still a good idea now. Locally, it seems to work pretty well at the 4/235 North intersection. And the Rt 5 north of the Great Mills Road merge seems to work the zipper pretty well also. The key for thos who do merge early is as you approach the end of the lane, start dropping back a bit, leave that space in front of you for a zipper merger to use. Keeps speeds up, and tempers down.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCLF2tyW0TU
I agree. That is how I was taught to drive back in California.
It's been used since the 80's in CA. I used to commute to/from Palo Alto/San Jose and it was used on the freeway onramps during rush hour traffic.
Clem72
Well-Known Member
Zipper merge works great for flowing traffic.
For traffic that is completely stopped in one lane, trying to zipper into the front is not effective traffic management, it's you being an asshat and cutting in line. If you don't believe that to be the case, feel free to let people zipper in front of you at the grocery checkout when the other "lane" is closed.
For traffic that is completely stopped in one lane, trying to zipper into the front is not effective traffic management, it's you being an asshat and cutting in line. If you don't believe that to be the case, feel free to let people zipper in front of you at the grocery checkout when the other "lane" is closed.
glhs837
Power with Control
Well, when it's stopped, no mergin going on. Once it starts going, as you move forward, open up that gap......... pretty simple, and yes, it works. It's traffic, not WalMart at 230pm on Saturday.
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getbent
Thats how them b*tch's R
The one coming from the bridge? I thought that was a yield not merge.
Restitution
New Member
Regardless... do you honestly think the idiots that use the lane to race up ahead and cut into traffic really care about the merging/yielding traffic from the bridge?
PsyOps
Pixelated
I have been driving for 38 years all over this country and several countries abroad and have found that the zipper method doesn't work for one reason... people that have merged early and waited in line are reluctant to let you over.
My general rule is, if the person gets over early, puts their turn signal on, I will let them over. If they scream all the way to the end and expect to push their way in, they aren't getting in front of me. I have waited patiently. I have no obligation to appease someone's impatience.
My general rule is, if the person gets over early, puts their turn signal on, I will let them over. If they scream all the way to the end and expect to push their way in, they aren't getting in front of me. I have waited patiently. I have no obligation to appease someone's impatience.
The point of the lesson was to use the open road to it's fullest to keep traffic flowing.
You have the mindset of a lot of citizen traffic cops around here, lets form a long ass line - particularly at traffic lights - and don't let anyone in so we can bring traffic to a halt.
If they wanted you to line up for miles, they would not have made it a multi-lane road.
getbent
Thats how them b*tch's R
Oh I know they don't. I use that intersection 4 days a week. They fly out of there, regardless of what's coming and let no one over into the breakdown lane to turn right into the houses or business there.
Restitution
New Member
Yeah... because that guy with the MD tags and base sticker doesn't know that the lane ends ahead. This is his FIRST time driving down here and we should cut them a break! Oh PLEASE!!!
This is an idealistic viewpoint however, we all know that this line of thinking only applies to about 10 out of every 100 cars that do this. The rest are simply skirting traffic to get ahead.
PsyOps
Pixelated
Dude, when the line has already been established, you either get in it early or take your chances. Regardless of these so-called 'rules', people are not doing it. Nowhere I've ever been does it. Folks that see the sign that a lane is going to end because of construction, they start getting over. It's just they do.
GWguy
*
I'm from NY. A proper NY merge is to rush to the end of the merge lane, then force the nose of your car into the other lane whether you are being let in or not. Do not use your blinker. Keep pushing until your nose is in the lane and the other driver has to back off to avoid scraping his bumper. All the while, look straight ahead, avoid eye contact and ignore any horns you might hear. Once you successfully get into the lane, immediately do the same thing to the next lane on your left, even tho you have no need to merge into that lane, forcing that lane to slam on their brakes to avoid you.
glhs837
Power with Control
Been driving since 81 myself, and I'm here to tell you, the maximum movement for the least hassle is the zipper. If you automatically open up as you approach the end of the lane, they always have somewhere to go, and traffic keeps moving. If you dont, then they have to stop, then someone else has to let them stop, and the stop and go makes everyone slower. Took me a while, but I do this every time now, and it helps. Now, this dicks that ride that lane over in Calvert long after it's turned right turn only, they can screw off. But we're not talking about that.
And GW, I hear you. Sort of like Boston, except in Boston, you make eye contact, honk to make sure that sonofabitch over there is paying attention, look over and engage in a battle of wills.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
The zipper works if both lanes are effectively at 50% split and both are moving at roughly the same speed and have reasonable following distances. In theory the zipper does slow things down as people should increase their following distance after they merge to a safe length.
glhs837
Power with Control
But in practice, very few zipper merges happening at speeds where the following distance in large enough that that really makes a difference.
