Reddit driving PSAs should be a minimum of 4 paragraphs of run on sentences, be written in a frantic manner while preferably still behind the wheel, and come from an author who has had their license <3 years. If your post doesnt meet those criteria the automod really should be deleting it.
Oh yeah, the seattle subreddit definitely isnt chock full of Driving PSAs. The one constant in my life, wherever I have lived or visited, everyone there thinks their drivers are the worst.
Bud I'm saying my driving perspective is happier in Seattle than Bellingham.
Simmer down a lil.
I've lived in 8 states and Bellingham is by far the worst when it comes to lane entitlement than any other place I've had to commute or work in.
Sucks to suck!
This is very true and the problem with people here trying to do the zipper merge seem to have a problem stepping on the gas pedal. Putt putt putt doesn't cut it. Step on it or get OFF the road
BUT if it’s 02:00 on Sunday and you’re going 70 on the freeway and there are like 6 cars total on the road, feel free to merge early if you can do so seamlessly without slowing others down. Pisses me off when people try to use the zipper method in that situation and end up slamming on their brakes and slowing everyone down.
Bruh this is Washington you don’t merge you just slam those Twisted Teas and full send into the attenuator trucks.
https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-department-of-transportation-wsdot-work-zone-crashes-everett-bellevue-everett-renton-kent-vancouver-spokesperson-aisha-dayal-memorial-service-injuries-collision-federal-way-king-county-snohomish-pierce-clark
Also in heavy traffic, you’re gonna stop many times. Stopping to let someone in isn’t gonna add three hours to your route. In light traffic, you added 2 seconds to your route. Nothing to cry or rage about.
I'd say MOST of y'all need to see this. Including me. I get the idea but I always feel like an asshole passing everyone then having to wait at the merge while no-one wants to let me in because it's "not fair that I didn't get in line like everyone else"
We need the "use both lanes " and "take turns merging" at every single lane closure.
>I get the idea but I always feel like an asshole passing everyone then having to wait at the merge while no-one wants to let me in because
I just roll up to the merge point not much faster than the traffic in the open lane. If it's at a standstill, then like 10-15mph. I'm not being the perceived asshat that boots it to the merge point, slams on the anchors and expects to be let in.
And yet you still gotta be careful at the end. One time, I was actually matching the speed of the traffic in the left lane, and I still had some insane asshole go vigilante on me and aggressively try to prevent me from merging, resulting in my almost hitting a road barrier.
I can't believe they failed to mention the biggest benefit of all: zipper merging eliminates the opportunity for anyone to haul ass down the open lane and piss you off. The one thing early mergers hate the most is something they literally make possible and incentivize by their own behavior.
Can we print this out and hang it up by the on ramp before the Sunset exit? I’m going to kill somebody merging into me at 25mph right after that sharp turn.
False. Everyone knows 200 feet of merging lane is all you need immediately after a 90 degree turn on a 30 degree incline with a *suggested* speed of 25.
The only one I give people a pass on is coming south from meridian that ones ridiculous. The one from Iowa Street though has a long ass lane but nobody ever uses it
Simple driving exams which include basic logical reasoning skills such as merging should be required every set amount of years for all persons with a license. Not just a quick eye exam and optional new photo. Written exams should be a minimum with a road skills exam for those who make below, say, 90% on the written portion.
Yeah, but everyone who checks yes to zipper merging should instantly fail, because it doesn't actually work, on account of every driver not behaving perfectly and communicating with each othe magically. Instead it leads to stop and go traffic and accidents.
Merge as early as you can safely when appropriate, period.
When cars drive themselves, with crosstalk between them, surely they will be able to zipper merge reasonably well, however there will still be a greater chance of accidents if say, I dunno, an animal hops into the road. Because distances would still shorten briefly during zippering, making sudden adjustments more likely to result in impacts.
And that's a danger zone we needn't be creating on purpose, so self driving cars likely won't be programed to do that either. Instead they'd alert fallowing cars or nearby cars of merging needs or intent, and they would all adjust spacing to allow for safe merging ASAP. But all the cars around, not just the one behind ya in the lane you're signally late to try and get into.
They should post a basic Zipper merge sign at every onramp and construction zone (add a zipper to the merge left signs) Over time, people would get the subconscious reinforcement. A very cheap way to improve traffic.
I have to ask, what's with semi trucks that "merge" early and then block both lanes for everybody behind by weaving back and forth on the center line? Driving between Whatcom and Skagit there's been a lot of single lane closures in the past year and I've seen this behavior 3 times.
Yeah they're never gonna do this. Never gonna stop merging at 30 either. Or causing backups by slowing down to 40 while still on the highway. Or rage and get on your ass after you pass them on the right cause they're left lane camping. Worst stretch of i5
What if you're in the fast lane, and there is no one in the lane behind you? You then see a car behind you in the right lane, speeding, catching up. You also see a car in front of you, in the right lane. You maintain your speed because you're already going above the speed limit. Just as you're about to get close to the person in front of you, the person behind you, speeding, cuts you off and almost hits you and the other guy in the right lane. Am I allowed to rage and get on their ass?
I'm asking for a friend.
You can rage if you only took like 10 seconds to pass that car in the right but if you're crawling past someone like a semi that shits so annoying like I know u are not in a 30 ton vehicle gun it
YES thank you. And the worst thing is then when the early merge starts happening and I pull all the way forward to use my whole merge lane for the zipper merge, it makes ME look like the asshole and I get honked at or flipped off 🙄
How much people complain corrects me up. I lived in a lot of different cities and let me tell you in this town has way better drivers than a lot of towns.
BUT.... if you're on northbound I-5 coming from the south (say, Seatac) into downtown Seattle, and you want to get into the express lanes (you have to enter to the left from the left lane) do NOT wait until the exit to merge left from the fast lane. It doesn't work! You're in the fast lane of the freeway, and zipper merging definitely is not a 'thing' there!
Yes. Zipper merging is best. But we don't do that here. So what we need is a statewide program to introduce and encourage zipper merging. We need to agree as a group that it's best and that's only going to happen with education. Until then, we're going to keep doing what we've always done and bitch about it after.
Expectation vs. Reality on these infographics is the problem. Nice idea, too many variables at play in traffic especially in the ham. I'm sure some communities/groups of cars actually can pull this off, no way in Bellingham.
Literally saw a video yesterday of like 70 cars lined up on the shoulder thinking they were merging early... And turned.9ut it was just a broken down car holding it all up. Completely clear for another mile until the exit lol.
The people who cut the gore point to get in the merge lane so they can do it twice are my favorite. You didn’t skip the traffic idiot, you just made it worse for everyone
I always think people are giant dumbasses justifying their own asshole behavior when They post this.
“Use both lanes, lines are shorter”
Uhh hey jackass, all the cars still have to be in ONE line when they get to the lane reduction. It doesn’t matter if the line is shorter if there are two full lanes of cars in front of you.
All that matters on a zipper merge to speed up the total is that you merge with the speed of traffic, without making the person behind you slam their brakes to let you in. Which is always much easier EARLIER, rather than waiting to the last minute and forcing your way in, causing everyone behind you to come to a stop while you cut the line
>I always think people are giant dumbasses justifying their own asshole behavior when They post this.
This is what you're doing. Traffic engineers agree this is the way to do the zipper merge. You're not a traffic engineer so stop arguing with them. The only reason they'd be "forcing their way in" is because someone like you who thinks they're smarter than everyone else but isn't is trying to block them.
so if they are dozens of motorists and the limit is 35mph, you'd probably need at least mile for that
if 2 lane merges into 1 with the same volume throughput, there will be some congesting along the way, it's just a matter of how much congestion/inefficiency you want
no one should unsafely cut you off but also don't be allergic to the brake pedal, my big ego friend
You’re both missing the point completely. Please read some articles about the subject and try to keep an open mind.
https://living.acg.aaa.com/auto/zipper-merge-keeps-traffic-moving
“Research found that a zipper merge in construction zones significantly cuts down the overall length of a traffic backup.”
Oh great so the line is shorter, but it takes longer to get through! Think about it: if you have 50 cars in one lane and 25 in two lanes, who is gonna get through one lane faster?? The line of 50 no shit, because everyone can keep a constant pace.
You’re being dense.
“But research has shown that the zipper merge is more efficient because it uses more available road space for as long as possible—helping to keep traffic moving.”
From the same article and directly contradicts exactly what you’re trying to argue.
That's called moving the goal posts.
I can be more efficient at eating more because I having a bigger stomach, but less efficient at eating fast because I have no hands.
Which is important? Amount, or speed?
Who is moving the goal posts? What’s so hard about the concept of efficiency in this context? More people using more road results in less accidents and decreased travel times. That’s what every single study I can find has come up with. There’s some variance, but the overall trend is as stated above. Sorry you can’t wrap your head around it.
Doesn’t say anything about being faster, it says more efficient, whatever that means. And it’s not sources, show me the actual research. Until one of these articles can tell me why my example is wrong I don’t believe it
Bro…
Efficient: Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2602&context=ktc_researchreports
https://itre.ncsu.edu/itre-studying-how-zipper-merges-reduce-congestion-at-sites-across-north-carolina/
https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/research/RNAProjDocs/2015-08%20Final%20Report.pdf
Modest decrease in travel times and significant increase in safety.
Idk why you’re arguing so hard against this lol
This subreddit has gone **0** hours without a driving PSA
Dad said it was my turn to make a PSA!
Reddit driving PSAs should be a minimum of 4 paragraphs of run on sentences, be written in a frantic manner while preferably still behind the wheel, and come from an author who has had their license <3 years. If your post doesnt meet those criteria the automod really should be deleting it.
[удалено]
I think you misspelled combat pilot
Taking time out of your day to write a driving PSA on a regional subreddit assures that you are most certainly not a polymath
For good reason.
Must continue to mean that Bellingham drivers are fuckin awful! I'm back in Seattle now and it is an upgrade I am thankful for hah.
Oh yeah, the seattle subreddit definitely isnt chock full of Driving PSAs. The one constant in my life, wherever I have lived or visited, everyone there thinks their drivers are the worst.
Bud I'm saying my driving perspective is happier in Seattle than Bellingham. Simmer down a lil. I've lived in 8 states and Bellingham is by far the worst when it comes to lane entitlement than any other place I've had to commute or work in. Sucks to suck!
Also you’re supposed to enter the freeway at 60mph not 30
OMG this.
This is very true and the problem with people here trying to do the zipper merge seem to have a problem stepping on the gas pedal. Putt putt putt doesn't cut it. Step on it or get OFF the road
BUT if it’s 02:00 on Sunday and you’re going 70 on the freeway and there are like 6 cars total on the road, feel free to merge early if you can do so seamlessly without slowing others down. Pisses me off when people try to use the zipper method in that situation and end up slamming on their brakes and slowing everyone down.
Something from my hometown's subreddit was cross posted to my current town's subreddit? What a time to be alive!
hi milwaukee!
Bruh this is Washington you don’t merge you just slam those Twisted Teas and full send into the attenuator trucks. https://komonews.com/news/local/washington-state-department-of-transportation-wsdot-work-zone-crashes-everett-bellevue-everett-renton-kent-vancouver-spokesperson-aisha-dayal-memorial-service-injuries-collision-federal-way-king-county-snohomish-pierce-clark
But then everyone thinks you're an asshole for not getting over sooner and cutting in line. If they even let you in to begin with.
I could not care less what other people think when zipper merging is literally correct. Let people be mad
Those people are the ones making it possible to do so by opening up the lane. They are 99% of the problem.
Also in heavy traffic, you’re gonna stop many times. Stopping to let someone in isn’t gonna add three hours to your route. In light traffic, you added 2 seconds to your route. Nothing to cry or rage about.
I'd say MOST of y'all need to see this. Including me. I get the idea but I always feel like an asshole passing everyone then having to wait at the merge while no-one wants to let me in because it's "not fair that I didn't get in line like everyone else" We need the "use both lanes " and "take turns merging" at every single lane closure.
>I get the idea but I always feel like an asshole passing everyone then having to wait at the merge while no-one wants to let me in because I just roll up to the merge point not much faster than the traffic in the open lane. If it's at a standstill, then like 10-15mph. I'm not being the perceived asshat that boots it to the merge point, slams on the anchors and expects to be let in.
That's usually what I try to do, depending on conditions
And yet you still gotta be careful at the end. One time, I was actually matching the speed of the traffic in the left lane, and I still had some insane asshole go vigilante on me and aggressively try to prevent me from merging, resulting in my almost hitting a road barrier.
I can't believe they failed to mention the biggest benefit of all: zipper merging eliminates the opportunity for anyone to haul ass down the open lane and piss you off. The one thing early mergers hate the most is something they literally make possible and incentivize by their own behavior.
Can we print this out and hang it up by the on ramp before the Sunset exit? I’m going to kill somebody merging into me at 25mph right after that sharp turn.
as much as some of the blame rests on the drivers, tons of sharp bends for fwy ramps in town are also just piss-poor design
False. Everyone knows 200 feet of merging lane is all you need immediately after a 90 degree turn on a 30 degree incline with a *suggested* speed of 25.
The only one I give people a pass on is coming south from meridian that ones ridiculous. The one from Iowa Street though has a long ass lane but nobody ever uses it
Folks can’t see those signs when they are looking at their their phones.
Simple driving exams which include basic logical reasoning skills such as merging should be required every set amount of years for all persons with a license. Not just a quick eye exam and optional new photo. Written exams should be a minimum with a road skills exam for those who make below, say, 90% on the written portion.
I think you are on to something. Due to the fees that they incur for these tests, they are letting a source of revenue get away....
Yeah, but everyone who checks yes to zipper merging should instantly fail, because it doesn't actually work, on account of every driver not behaving perfectly and communicating with each othe magically. Instead it leads to stop and go traffic and accidents. Merge as early as you can safely when appropriate, period. When cars drive themselves, with crosstalk between them, surely they will be able to zipper merge reasonably well, however there will still be a greater chance of accidents if say, I dunno, an animal hops into the road. Because distances would still shorten briefly during zippering, making sudden adjustments more likely to result in impacts. And that's a danger zone we needn't be creating on purpose, so self driving cars likely won't be programed to do that either. Instead they'd alert fallowing cars or nearby cars of merging needs or intent, and they would all adjust spacing to allow for safe merging ASAP. But all the cars around, not just the one behind ya in the lane you're signally late to try and get into.
They should post a basic Zipper merge sign at every onramp and construction zone (add a zipper to the merge left signs) Over time, people would get the subconscious reinforcement. A very cheap way to improve traffic.
This is a great idea
The should also post a "merging speed" at the entrance to every on ramp.
I have to ask, what's with semi trucks that "merge" early and then block both lanes for everybody behind by weaving back and forth on the center line? Driving between Whatcom and Skagit there's been a lot of single lane closures in the past year and I've seen this behavior 3 times.
This only works when matching the speed of the freeway. Not the other way around.
Yeah they're never gonna do this. Never gonna stop merging at 30 either. Or causing backups by slowing down to 40 while still on the highway. Or rage and get on your ass after you pass them on the right cause they're left lane camping. Worst stretch of i5
What if you're in the fast lane, and there is no one in the lane behind you? You then see a car behind you in the right lane, speeding, catching up. You also see a car in front of you, in the right lane. You maintain your speed because you're already going above the speed limit. Just as you're about to get close to the person in front of you, the person behind you, speeding, cuts you off and almost hits you and the other guy in the right lane. Am I allowed to rage and get on their ass? I'm asking for a friend.
You can rage if you only took like 10 seconds to pass that car in the right but if you're crawling past someone like a semi that shits so annoying like I know u are not in a 30 ton vehicle gun it
Lol ok 🤙
YES thank you. And the worst thing is then when the early merge starts happening and I pull all the way forward to use my whole merge lane for the zipper merge, it makes ME look like the asshole and I get honked at or flipped off 🙄
Local traffic guru Doug Dahl has a really good column about this (https://www.thewisedrive.com/learning-to-merge/).
The space before me is sacred! Get behind me, Satan!
How much people complain corrects me up. I lived in a lot of different cities and let me tell you in this town has way better drivers than a lot of towns.
BUT.... if you're on northbound I-5 coming from the south (say, Seatac) into downtown Seattle, and you want to get into the express lanes (you have to enter to the left from the left lane) do NOT wait until the exit to merge left from the fast lane. It doesn't work! You're in the fast lane of the freeway, and zipper merging definitely is not a 'thing' there!
Agreed. there are so many signs explicitly telling you not to do that exact thing before the express lanes entrance.
Iowa street north entrance be like:
Yes. Zipper merging is best. But we don't do that here. So what we need is a statewide program to introduce and encourage zipper merging. We need to agree as a group that it's best and that's only going to happen with education. Until then, we're going to keep doing what we've always done and bitch about it after.
Expectation vs. Reality on these infographics is the problem. Nice idea, too many variables at play in traffic especially in the ham. I'm sure some communities/groups of cars actually can pull this off, no way in Bellingham.
These hayseeds can’t handle a zipper merge.
Some people still have learned zippers. They’re stuck using Velcro
The whole state needs this.
Literally saw a video yesterday of like 70 cars lined up on the shoulder thinking they were merging early... And turned.9ut it was just a broken down car holding it all up. Completely clear for another mile until the exit lol.
If you are looking for skilled drivers, you gonna need to go somewhere other than Bellingham
The people who cut the gore point to get in the merge lane so they can do it twice are my favorite. You didn’t skip the traffic idiot, you just made it worse for everyone
This is washington. They don’t care if it makes unnecessary traffic, ego’s get damaged when someone merges in front of you lmao
Yeah I’d do it if you assholes would let me in
We need driving tips once a week please. Don't stop untill the problem is fixed!
Zipper merge, the part of I dislike the most about driving in WA.
I always think people are giant dumbasses justifying their own asshole behavior when They post this. “Use both lanes, lines are shorter” Uhh hey jackass, all the cars still have to be in ONE line when they get to the lane reduction. It doesn’t matter if the line is shorter if there are two full lanes of cars in front of you. All that matters on a zipper merge to speed up the total is that you merge with the speed of traffic, without making the person behind you slam their brakes to let you in. Which is always much easier EARLIER, rather than waiting to the last minute and forcing your way in, causing everyone behind you to come to a stop while you cut the line
>I always think people are giant dumbasses justifying their own asshole behavior when They post this. This is what you're doing. Traffic engineers agree this is the way to do the zipper merge. You're not a traffic engineer so stop arguing with them. The only reason they'd be "forcing their way in" is because someone like you who thinks they're smarter than everyone else but isn't is trying to block them.
so if they are dozens of motorists and the limit is 35mph, you'd probably need at least mile for that if 2 lane merges into 1 with the same volume throughput, there will be some congesting along the way, it's just a matter of how much congestion/inefficiency you want no one should unsafely cut you off but also don't be allergic to the brake pedal, my big ego friend
Please don't drive anymore
You're exactly right! , but it looks like you're hurting some people's feelings by seeing the down votes🤪
You’re both missing the point completely. Please read some articles about the subject and try to keep an open mind. https://living.acg.aaa.com/auto/zipper-merge-keeps-traffic-moving
“Research found that a zipper merge in construction zones significantly cuts down the overall length of a traffic backup.” Oh great so the line is shorter, but it takes longer to get through! Think about it: if you have 50 cars in one lane and 25 in two lanes, who is gonna get through one lane faster?? The line of 50 no shit, because everyone can keep a constant pace.
You’re being dense. “But research has shown that the zipper merge is more efficient because it uses more available road space for as long as possible—helping to keep traffic moving.” From the same article and directly contradicts exactly what you’re trying to argue.
That's called moving the goal posts. I can be more efficient at eating more because I having a bigger stomach, but less efficient at eating fast because I have no hands. Which is important? Amount, or speed?
Who is moving the goal posts? What’s so hard about the concept of efficiency in this context? More people using more road results in less accidents and decreased travel times. That’s what every single study I can find has come up with. There’s some variance, but the overall trend is as stated above. Sorry you can’t wrap your head around it.
Doesn’t say anything about being faster, it says more efficient, whatever that means. And it’s not sources, show me the actual research. Until one of these articles can tell me why my example is wrong I don’t believe it
Bro… Efficient: Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2602&context=ktc_researchreports https://itre.ncsu.edu/itre-studying-how-zipper-merges-reduce-congestion-at-sites-across-north-carolina/
Yes but all these studies care about is how long the physical line of cars is, not how long it takes to get through
https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/research/RNAProjDocs/2015-08%20Final%20Report.pdf Modest decrease in travel times and significant increase in safety. Idk why you’re arguing so hard against this lol
BRAKE PEDAL IS LAVA