re: A reminder that zipper merging is how your supposed to handle merging

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The fact of the matter is that people that drive in the closure lane until the end almost always cause the vehicle in the open lane to slow down to let them merge, causing the people behind them to brake also, causing a traffic jam.

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I also think there is a distinction to be made between permanent or designed merges/lane consolidation, and construction closures on the interstate, etc.

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What they don't realize is their argument should be applied to non-zipper merging. The fact that there are people on the road who will use the closing lane to go quicker means zipper merging will be more efficient. If everyone was selfless and moved over when at the earliest point, non-zipper merging may work efficiently, but the fact that some will use the closing lane to speed up means this technique will cause traffic delays.

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You just described the real world.

Either way would work if done by everyone. Neither are, which is why it's a cluster. The difference is that one side thinks one group are just idiots for not knowing how to do it properly, the other side thinks the ones running along side are skipping the line...because they are, given how the real world works.

In a situation where so few are doing it correctly, you have a choice of being wrong and seen as not an a-hole by fellow drivers and getting over as early as possible to avoid delays, or doing it "right" and being seen as a dickhead by fellow drivers who see you literally cutting ahead of them and who will inevitable refuse to let you merge because they see you as an a-hole.

I can accept the fact that zipper merging is "correct" and also refuse to do it because I recognize that almost no one else is and I can't be the a-hole that is jumping in front of a bunch of people that honestly think they're doing the right thing...it's not like we can pull over and have a discussion about zipper merging on the side of I-10.

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Either way would work if done by everyone

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Zipper merging works if done by more than one as it eases traffic congestion (to varying degrees depending on how many people adopt it).

Non-zipper merging only works if everyone practices it

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Zipper merging works if done by more than one as it eases traffic congestion (to varying degrees depending on how many people adopt it).

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This is correct. What "everyone in one lane" adopters fail to realize is that at some point, everyone MUST move from the right lane to the left lane and by doing it willy-nilly, you create more conflict points. It's better to have it at one single point and use the full road storage up until that point.

The concept is foreign in Louisiana, the land of interstate drive byes where use of your sign signal is a sign of weakness.

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This is absolutely terrible advice. It slows the flow considerably. Zipper merging well back from this point, which allows free flow through the pinch point, is what you want.

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I would agree with this, as long as every vehicle is adjusting their speed properly to allow for continuous flow, which will minimize the choke point. But we all know this will never happen because of low IQ's, selfish drivers, and other factors. Autonomous driving is pretty much the only way to allow the most amount of traffic getting through these scenarios and others, but unfortunately that still has a LONG way to go.

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When you see the sign, “Right Lane Closed 1 Mile” fricking move your arse over to the left lane as soon as possible. Don’t fricking stay in the right lane so you can go to the front of the line and try to cut in front of everyone. frick you

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Louisiana and merging don't exactly go together

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I remember from transportation class that there are models that prove that traffic moves more efficiently if the conflict point is kept at the point closest to the forced merge. I’m surprised that there are people who can’t grasp this and instead start wishing coitus on others.

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There are models that show that the oceans will rise 20 feet in the next century.

So, these “models” show that traffic flows better if people wait until the last couple hundred feet to merge instead of merging a half mile or greater before the closure? I find that hard to fricking believe.

Listen, if a two lane highway is going from two lanes down to one, a slowdown is going to happen regardless because some vehicles will slow below the speed limit. But if everyone merges well before the lane closure, there should be minimal slowing. Throw in a couple of cars waiting until the end to merge, and you have people in the open lane having to slow to let them in. It just happens, people aren’t great drivers.

Real world scenario here. Sign on Interstate highway: “Right Lane Closed 2 Miles Ahead. Merge Left Now.” Traffic is moving normally, between 65-75 mph. Cars start merging into left lane, traffic probably slows to 50-65 mph in left lane and continues past the lane closure at that speed.

Same scenario with zipperheads: Traffic in left lane is moving 50-65 mph with adequate/safe spacing between vehicles, but zipperhead stays in the right lane doing 75 mph until he sees the lane closure 500 feet ahead and has to slow down to match the speed of the left lane then cuts someone off so he doesn’t hit the cones ahead and causes that person to hit their brakes, causing everyone behind them to hit their brakes and causes a chain reaction slowdown to 0-30 mph.

Great job zipperhead.

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We approach the right lane closure, I am in the left, and have been for some time and I’m supposed to just let the people over who purposefully ignored the sign. frick all that.

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It's not Kindergarten and it's not a contest. Grow up and just let the person over.


God forbid you're 5 seconds late to picking up your food stamps.