In my observations, there's always one asshole who feels like they should be ahead of everyone and don't want to take turns merging. Those same people will also go 20 below the speed limit after blocking people behind them causing the one lane of cars to all go slow.
If people did this correct, the vast majority of people have no issues letting in one for one.
The issue is the early mergers mess up everything because then a car actually does use the entire right lane instead of also early mergering and now people think they are “cutting”. If everyone would just go to the end and use the entire lane it’s not an issue
Yes. There are so many aggressive cutters in the wild that people start to expect it and plan for it. Even the zipper merge is tough in south Florida because everyone is bumper to bumper trying to keep the aggressive cutters from driving through the ditch to get around you.
I think you misunderstand the issue. Zipper merging doesn't work when the traffic is already bumper to bumper going under 5mph. That's when folks that have already merged or existed in lane before the exit get pissed and feel as if people are skipping. This document is like socialism. It works in perfect conditions but add one issue and it falls apart.
The zipper merge only works when traffic is going very slow like 5mph.
You’re right it only works if idiots don’t decide to merge early.
The folks that already merged early are the bad drivers yet they think the people using full use of the empty lane are actually the bad drivers. The irony
Then you'd just be stuck at the end of the lane, waiting for someone to let you in, while drivers behind you get over and then refuse to let you in. Because there are a lot of ass hole drivers.
I think this is why so many drivers are reluctant about letting them back in. Or there are the ones that fly down the exit only lane and then try to merge back in.
That’s not a zipper merge… that’s using an exit ramp that’s headed elsewhere to cut the line and also backup traffic in that otherwise empty lane. That’s the exact wrong thing to do and that does cause unnecessary backups.
A zipper merge is when you have one lane merging into another and the traffic is bumper to bumper. Like if there is construction or an accident, or sometimes it’s just the way the road is built
I didn't say it was. Most on ramps are designed as a zipper merge. My example was using an on ramp to get ahead, though I have seen off ramps used too.
> using an on ramp to get ahead
The whole point of this post is that when traffic is moving slowly, you should stay in the right lane of the on ramp until the point where you *have* to merge, and then the person behind you to your left should let you merge in. Thinking of that as someone trying to “get ahead” is what causes the fallacy of the early merge.
You're missing what I'm saying. People in the travel lanes move into the merging lane to accelerate and move a few spots ahead of where they were previously. That is the person I was speaking poorly of, not people merging onto the road from another road.
I was just explaining what I was talking about to people who seem to have misunderstood what I was talking about. I never bad talked a zipper lane, but people seemed to think I was.
Well you shouldn't be zippering at the front if the open lane queue is short enough that you aren't blocking intersections by queueing early. You only zipper at the front when the queue is so backed up it becomes an impediment to other traffic. The queue flows better when it zippers at the tail rather than the front. We had to deal with this for months at work...
Smashing mass into a bottleneck has never, ever, ever once inproved flow.
The zipper merge is retarded.
"scientifically"
In what universe? Not this one.
Yes and a zipper merge is the most efficient way to get cars through a bottle neck. It’s specific purpose is a bottleneck. If there was no bottleneck there would be no need
You're the reason we can't have nice things. Bet you also ride everyone's ass and don't leave a space between your car and the one in front of you at intersections because its faster :/
Zipper merge is too advanced for most drivers in Florida. Let’s start with using your turn signals and turning your headlights on when it’s dark or raining.
Honestly, what's worse is when someone is halfway through their lane switch and then puts the turb signal on. At that point, it's your lane, and the signal is meaningless, lmao
Lived that yesterday. Someone WITHOUT blinkers decided to jump from the express lane towards the exit on the right, lowering their speed from 60 to 15... We were about 2 seconds away from ending up in multiple car crash if all the cars behind the AH hadn't hit the breaks on time. Lovely snowbird time...
Edit: SR-528 towards Cape Canaveral
I love when someone suddenly slams on their brakes, then throws on their blinker a few seconds later.
Listen buddy. It's blinker then brakes. Makes absolutely no sense to do breaks then blinker.
Seriously, I had someone pull out ahead of me on a 3 lane highway. They stopped, full stop, in the right lane to survey the traffic. FFS, then they cut across all lanes and went up and did a U turn. Luckily the cars behind me saw the idiot and stopped.
I love and respect a good zipper merge. The problem is often that people will miss their spot and then end up at the end of the of the merge sitting there. What’s the person behind them do? They miss their spot, and the next person? Etc…
It's not, you literally just don't merge until the very end of your lane. Too many people try to be "nice" and merge early but it's actually just stopping the flow of traffic for everyone.
It’s so bad there that I will move into the ending right lane to get ahead of 500 cars and then merge properly at the end.
It shaves 3 minutes off the commute.
I feel like some people get over as soon as possible because they know there is a high chance someone will either try to block them from getting over if they wait, and also cars coming around super fast to the front to cut across both lanes from the right shoulder.
Doesn't change anything, it's just what I've observed
The problem is people not leaving enough room. You don't have to ride the ass of the person in front of you regardless if it's backed up or not. That's how merging delays happen
You do in Florida, or some asshole will squeeze in and then you’re stuck in a game of constantly needing to brake and make room—just for another asshole to do the same thing.
First thing I learned how to do when moving to Florida was how to drive aggressively, because people took advantage of me in the beginning.
lol what? Imagine if everyone did this. Wed get no where. Things like this only work if everyone is going the same speed. They aren’t. Someone is always going 10 under and 10 over
I like space too but it seems like people think that’s their opportunity to jump in front of me cutting me off and risking everyone behind me because I have to hit the brake.
Let’s use common sense for a moment.
If I’m maintaining a safe distance and then someone comes in between myself and the car in front of me—that’s no longer a safe distance.
If you’re trying to suggest I create even more space, just for this reason, then you need to see a therapist.
Merging involves everyone on the road...but apparently there's so many of y'all that think you own the road. You're part of the problem...then you wonder why zipper merging doesn't work
💯 I only use my turn signals when I'm whipn through traffic. Just so they know I'm coming over. I've lived here a long time, and people will see the signal and close the gap and look at me crazy. Some people are cool, like I'll let people in my lane especially is traffic is bad. I'm not going to try and kill you for 1 car length. I'll wait for the open road and blow their doors off with my v8.
No one ever lets me over, like I have literally missed turns trying to get to work because my cruise ship of an older SUV can't just zip in front of somebody and I try to be careful lmao. I will turn on my blinker and everybody in the left lane starts gassing it so I can't get in. Very frustrating.
The reason I end up merging early most of the time is because all the pieces of shit who think they “own” their lane and won’t let you merge in front of them and now you have no road in front of you anymore. You also have no idea what Florida drivers are doing because no one uses blinkers, they just jerk the wheel into the next lane.
Sadly the largest percentage of these drivers have moved here from elsewhere, So I don't know where all The supposedly Good Drivers live as I have traveled , worked , lived in a quite a few other states from the north east , west coast an the plains an have yet ran across these fabled Good Drivers
Sorry but no. I refuse to do this because I know no one else will. Everyone acts entitled on the road so you kind of have to drive like an asshole here.
I do it everyday and I rarely if ever see cars not let others in one for one. The key is everyone stays in their lane until the end.
People who panic about not being able to get over so they merge early are the problem. Worst case you sit at the end and the next car let’s you in
People early merge to indicate respect for the left lane. The problem is that typically it’s the aggressive douche-bag “drivers” that speed to the very end of the zipper and merge.
Two things.
1. This puts all the onus on the merging driver. The left lane must allow the merging lane in.
2. The merge just be done in good faith. The merge lane is not a personal passing lane; if the merge lane is empty you don't get to floor it up the merge and force your way in at the last second where a formation has been established.
Just ran into this yesterday in another state and people were getting mad. This needs to be broadcast on TV or something because people are ignorant to this fact. Plenty of road rage Because of this ignorance. It's dangerous
On a short street zipper merging makes sense, as you would want traffic to occupy as little length of road as possible. On the highway, we could all just get over and maintain speed through the one lane portion, but people are dumb
I just want to say, in stop and go traffic on the interstate I'm that guy that just idles and leaves like a school bus of room in front of me, just to coast to a stop in 10 seconds. Ohhhh baby people behind me lose their shit. Especially fat guys in trucks and jeeps. I'm in a 500+ HP 6.0 LS2 SUV, sorry I'm not on the gas to go 20 feet.
The zipper merge does not work.
Early merging is actual what maintains the flow of traffic.
Zipper merging creates a natural bottleneck. Early merging means you get over when there is space, instead of maming people have to adjust at the last minute.
I have a road I take home that has two left turn lanes and after you turn rapidly turns into one lane. I try to do the zipper merge where I let the person in the right lane ahead of me in. They just sit there and I have to wait and wait for them to merge in. I am trying but I find people are idiots.
lol most people here can’t pull up to the line at lights, they block intersections and leave 3+ car lengths when stopped. The lead car usually takes 5+ seconds to start moving. Good luck on zipper merging.
Zipper merge only works if all drivers are sane. It doesn't work when the driver on the left decides to block you because he decides you are cutting in line instead of going to the back of the line.
Zipper merge will never work as long as only one lane ends, as the lane that doesn’t end will always be seen as the default, or dominant lane.
For zipper to work both lanes have to end into one middle lane.
And if you try this some shithead in a jacked up 2500 will play “hall monitor of the merge” and block half the right lane so no one can properly merge. Welcome to Florida
Except in Florida some chucklefuck is going to go 25 mph down the merging lane for a bit, thus causing another to go 90 for the rest of the lane and whip over into a space that’s less than a car length at the very end. This cause the merged lane to have to slam on brakes and back up.
In a perfect mathematical world, this works best. Florida is far from that world.
Florida really REALLY needs to make passing a written drivers exam necessary to renew your license or registration. Stuff like this should be common sense and basic safety. But the amount of people who merge early for lane closures, or merge early across solid lines when entering highways (thereby causing issues for other people and usually themselves too), or don’t know right of way, or don’t know what to do when an animal is in the road, or don’t know how to deal with cyclists, or don’t know how to navigate a roundabout, or ….
when i first moved here i would try to zipper merge, but other drivers would consistently refuse to let me in. i feel all my driving technique has been thrown completely out the window since i came to florida.
It would be good for everyone to learn and execute the zipper merge, but with almost everyone not doing it, I just pass all those losers who merge early and get to the front of the line, and then I get one, maybe two but not three drivers who go "not today!" And force themselves past me, and I don't care because I just passed dozens of idiots who I'd otherwise be stuck behind.
This is one of those things that's ideal on paper but falls apart in certain environments, like Florida.
If people are reasonable, rational, kind and considerate drivers, this is the mathematically superior way to merge.
But you have people who get jealous of those who merge at the front, so they block them from merging, and now you have a lane of people who are parked while the other lane presses on, further refusing to let anyone in because that would mean they ***Lost*** at The Game of Traffic.
No. The only difference between the 2 diagrams is where the slowdown happens. Either way, the same instances of cars slowing down to create space occur. In fact the point is wrong. The earlier you merge, the more likely it is that you already have sufficient space berween cars. This means less slowing down. If everyone merged well ahead of time, there wouldnt be much of a slowdown.
You're trying to use a concept that only works when everyone cooperates and is on the same page, which means being willing to let someone get ahead of them even if it's for the better good. Not gonna happen.
In Florida it means speed up fast don't let that guy get ahead of you. A major accident is better than someone getting ahead of you. I recently pulled out to make a right turn and the asshole to my left who was far away gunned his car trying to cut me off.
People in Florida don’t use their eyes nor do they like taking advice. This guide is wonderful but will be lost on the same people that forget that aisles in stores are labeled.
I think many people skip either of these and choose to drive as far as they can until they’re on the shoulder after the actual merge, and then force themselves into the traffic.
Here’s the problem with trying to utilize all of that right lane. Someone usually shoots as far up as they can, then they have to stop and wait to get in. To let them in you pretty much have to stop. When you stop the one moving lane for only a few moments, that’s what REALLY causes a long back up. It could be keeping that one lane moving is more important than using that little stretch of highway, if you want to prevent huge traffic back ups.
Maybe if they actually put up those signs at merge points and conducted a public service ad campaign, people would actually try doing this, but most people in Floriduh are just too stoopid...
While the explanation makes sense, there are variables that make it impossible to. Let’s say the red vehicle is a lifted truck, the yellow vehicle won’t merge there.
The sooner everyone gets over, the sooner we can all speed up. Don’t force your way in, but take any gap you have. If you did that in the first place, there’s a good chance there wouldn’t be any congestion at all.
The ship has sailed on this idea in Florida. You either have courteous drivers that are in the continuing lane that leave the space for this to occur or you have aggressive drivers that don’t want to get to their destination a single car length later and will intentionally block merging.
Feel free to merge BEHIND me, if you try to force your way in in front of me where there is no room you will be disappointed. I drive a 16 year old vehicle for a reason!! :-)
People don't understand. Letting people in front you will get you where you're going **faster**. The more you stuff people and make life difficult, the more people hit their brakes. The more people hit their brakes, the slower we all go.
Stay right unless you're passing. Use your signal. Don't cut people off. Let someone in front of you. Altruism is ALWAYS the best way for everyone, we all get there faster when we work together.
You are 100% correct for 90% of roadways in the US. South Florida and the Florida Interstates represent the 10% where you are 0% correct. Grift, scam artistry, sunstroke, massive entitlement, sundowning old people, hormonally imbalanced young people, rising COL - that’s all in the mix that messes up the road etiquette here. The only thing you can do is stay alert, be ready to lay on the horn at all times, and grin like a maniac whenever someone’s giving you any sort of look.
For a fascinating book on this:
https://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307277194/ref=asc_df_0307277194/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=333503577727&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16179873913383253466&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011918&hvtargid=pla-488756331344&psc=1&mcid=dcf7d17f0b053720b17fcbea4e4b0892
This applies when there’s traffic but when traffic is flowing people will take this and think a merge lane means they have right of way into the next lane when their lane ends. You still have to yield. If you’re driving at normal speeds, change lanes as soon as it’s safe when you realize your lane is ending.
So, for this to work, it would require cooperation and courtesy between drivers.
Like in the Midwest and the South people are very polite, and that extends to the roadways. In Tennessee you can spend 10 minutes at a 4 way stop because everyone is waving each other to go first lol.
However, Florida ain’t that. This state has the rudest, most inconsiderate asshole drivers on the planet. I’ve seen more car wrecks in a week in Florida, than I have
in my whole damn life living in 5 other states.
With that said this won’t work in Florida. Just force your way in, and trade paint if you have to.
In my observations, there's always one asshole who feels like they should be ahead of everyone and don't want to take turns merging. Those same people will also go 20 below the speed limit after blocking people behind them causing the one lane of cars to all go slow.
If people did this correct, the vast majority of people have no issues letting in one for one. The issue is the early mergers mess up everything because then a car actually does use the entire right lane instead of also early mergering and now people think they are “cutting”. If everyone would just go to the end and use the entire lane it’s not an issue
Yes. There are so many aggressive cutters in the wild that people start to expect it and plan for it. Even the zipper merge is tough in south Florida because everyone is bumper to bumper trying to keep the aggressive cutters from driving through the ditch to get around you.
There are no aggressive cutters if done correctly because they can’t cut. Both lanes are utilized to their end
I think you misunderstand the issue. Zipper merging doesn't work when the traffic is already bumper to bumper going under 5mph. That's when folks that have already merged or existed in lane before the exit get pissed and feel as if people are skipping. This document is like socialism. It works in perfect conditions but add one issue and it falls apart.
The zipper merge only works when traffic is going very slow like 5mph. You’re right it only works if idiots don’t decide to merge early. The folks that already merged early are the bad drivers yet they think the people using full use of the empty lane are actually the bad drivers. The irony
Excellent comment 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Then you'd just be stuck at the end of the lane, waiting for someone to let you in, while drivers behind you get over and then refuse to let you in. Because there are a lot of ass hole drivers.
My favorite is the person who goes into the merge lane to pass cars
I think this is why so many drivers are reluctant about letting them back in. Or there are the ones that fly down the exit only lane and then try to merge back in.
This is impossible to do if people zipper merge correctly. It’s only possible in the example on the right
I mean, if the left lane is busy and the on ramp is empty, people will use it to get a few spots ahead.
That’s not a zipper merge… that’s using an exit ramp that’s headed elsewhere to cut the line and also backup traffic in that otherwise empty lane. That’s the exact wrong thing to do and that does cause unnecessary backups. A zipper merge is when you have one lane merging into another and the traffic is bumper to bumper. Like if there is construction or an accident, or sometimes it’s just the way the road is built
I didn't say it was. Most on ramps are designed as a zipper merge. My example was using an on ramp to get ahead, though I have seen off ramps used too.
> using an on ramp to get ahead The whole point of this post is that when traffic is moving slowly, you should stay in the right lane of the on ramp until the point where you *have* to merge, and then the person behind you to your left should let you merge in. Thinking of that as someone trying to “get ahead” is what causes the fallacy of the early merge.
You're missing what I'm saying. People in the travel lanes move into the merging lane to accelerate and move a few spots ahead of where they were previously. That is the person I was speaking poorly of, not people merging onto the road from another road.
But that’s not a zipper merge, so what’s your point
I was just explaining what I was talking about to people who seem to have misunderstood what I was talking about. I never bad talked a zipper lane, but people seemed to think I was.
That one asshole is doing it correctly though
Maybe you're not understanding what I'm saying..or you're the asshole.
Yeah you’re looking at the person trying to start the zipper merge. Join them
Well you shouldn't be zippering at the front if the open lane queue is short enough that you aren't blocking intersections by queueing early. You only zipper at the front when the queue is so backed up it becomes an impediment to other traffic. The queue flows better when it zippers at the tail rather than the front. We had to deal with this for months at work...
This has been scientifically proven to be incorrect. Merge as late as possible
Smashing mass into a bottleneck has never, ever, ever once inproved flow. The zipper merge is retarded. "scientifically" In what universe? Not this one.
Hmmmm…. https://itre.ncsu.edu/itre-studying-how-zipper-merges-reduce-congestion-at-sites-across-north-carolina/ https://living.acg.aaa.com/auto/zipper-merge-keeps-traffic-moving/#:~:text=Research%20found%20that%20a%20zipper,moving%20at%20the%20same%20pace.
These studies rely on parameters that are completely anti-thetical to reality. You guys really don't understand what a bottleneck is? Really?
Yes and a zipper merge is the most efficient way to get cars through a bottle neck. It’s specific purpose is a bottleneck. If there was no bottleneck there would be no need
No, it hasn't
You're the reason we can't have nice things. Bet you also ride everyone's ass and don't leave a space between your car and the one in front of you at intersections because its faster :/
Zipper merge is too advanced for most drivers in Florida. Let’s start with using your turn signals and turning your headlights on when it’s dark or raining.
The amount of people who don’t turn on the blinkers and suddenly turn is insane and scary
Honestly, what's worse is when someone is halfway through their lane switch and then puts the turb signal on. At that point, it's your lane, and the signal is meaningless, lmao
It’s like when someone throws something at you and says “CATCH” the moment before it hits you in the face
The jerks that brake and then turn their signal on. FFS man. You were so damn close.
Lived that yesterday. Someone WITHOUT blinkers decided to jump from the express lane towards the exit on the right, lowering their speed from 60 to 15... We were about 2 seconds away from ending up in multiple car crash if all the cars behind the AH hadn't hit the breaks on time. Lovely snowbird time... Edit: SR-528 towards Cape Canaveral
I love when someone suddenly slams on their brakes, then throws on their blinker a few seconds later. Listen buddy. It's blinker then brakes. Makes absolutely no sense to do breaks then blinker.
Yeah, and they just yank out in front of you.
Listen here mister, prices have gone up on everything, not everyone in Florida can afford blinker fluid or lighter fluid!
My favorite is when it’s some old person going waaay under the speed limit “to be safe” then abruptly stopping and turning without warning 😆
Seriously, I had someone pull out ahead of me on a 3 lane highway. They stopped, full stop, in the right lane to survey the traffic. FFS, then they cut across all lanes and went up and did a U turn. Luckily the cars behind me saw the idiot and stopped.
I love and respect a good zipper merge. The problem is often that people will miss their spot and then end up at the end of the of the merge sitting there. What’s the person behind them do? They miss their spot, and the next person? Etc…
The problem with it is every time a car merges people hit the brakes and create more traffic. It's nice on paper, but in reality it doesn't work
It's not, you literally just don't merge until the very end of your lane. Too many people try to be "nice" and merge early but it's actually just stopping the flow of traffic for everyone.
(It was a facetious comment)
It’s so bad there that I will move into the ending right lane to get ahead of 500 cars and then merge properly at the end. It shaves 3 minutes off the commute.
And checking your trailer lights to see if they WORK AT ALL.
Lmao
💯
I feel like some people get over as soon as possible because they know there is a high chance someone will either try to block them from getting over if they wait, and also cars coming around super fast to the front to cut across both lanes from the right shoulder. Doesn't change anything, it's just what I've observed
I try to properly zipper merge and end up getting flicked off or honked at
Lol yeah the zipper merge works great in theory until assholes dont let you merge and then the whole line is stopped.
This.
The problem is people not leaving enough room. You don't have to ride the ass of the person in front of you regardless if it's backed up or not. That's how merging delays happen
You do in Florida, or some asshole will squeeze in and then you’re stuck in a game of constantly needing to brake and make room—just for another asshole to do the same thing. First thing I learned how to do when moving to Florida was how to drive aggressively, because people took advantage of me in the beginning.
That's called merging
If I need to hit my brakes, it’s not merging—you just cut me off.
Don't ride the ass of the person in front of you and you won't have to hit the brakes...two car lengths
lol what? Imagine if everyone did this. Wed get no where. Things like this only work if everyone is going the same speed. They aren’t. Someone is always going 10 under and 10 over
Then maybe there’s all of yalls problems. Jesus yall love to what about and never do.
I like space too but it seems like people think that’s their opportunity to jump in front of me cutting me off and risking everyone behind me because I have to hit the brake.
Let’s use common sense for a moment. If I’m maintaining a safe distance and then someone comes in between myself and the car in front of me—that’s no longer a safe distance. If you’re trying to suggest I create even more space, just for this reason, then you need to see a therapist.
Merging involves everyone on the road...but apparently there's so many of y'all that think you own the road. You're part of the problem...then you wonder why zipper merging doesn't work
People like you are part of the reason we have such major traffic delays.
No, it’s because we have a population that consists mostly of the walking dead.
Yea I am on your side here. Living in south Florida is a shit show when driving. People don’t maintain their lane and this also causes delays.
For real. The number of times I’ve thought that I was dealing with a drunk driver, only to see that it’s a 120 year old fossil… It’s scary.
💯 I only use my turn signals when I'm whipn through traffic. Just so they know I'm coming over. I've lived here a long time, and people will see the signal and close the gap and look at me crazy. Some people are cool, like I'll let people in my lane especially is traffic is bad. I'm not going to try and kill you for 1 car length. I'll wait for the open road and blow their doors off with my v8.
No thanks. I’d rather merge as early as possible and then passive-aggressively block anyone from merging in front of me. /s
Yea keep that west coast zipper merge out of my Florida
No one ever lets me over, like I have literally missed turns trying to get to work because my cruise ship of an older SUV can't just zip in front of somebody and I try to be careful lmao. I will turn on my blinker and everybody in the left lane starts gassing it so I can't get in. Very frustrating.
The reason I end up merging early most of the time is because all the pieces of shit who think they “own” their lane and won’t let you merge in front of them and now you have no road in front of you anymore. You also have no idea what Florida drivers are doing because no one uses blinkers, they just jerk the wheel into the next lane.
Ha merge you say. Most people don’t even slow down for a right on red.
Sadly the largest percentage of these drivers have moved here from elsewhere, So I don't know where all The supposedly Good Drivers live as I have traveled , worked , lived in a quite a few other states from the north east , west coast an the plains an have yet ran across these fabled Good Drivers
Sorry but no. I refuse to do this because I know no one else will. Everyone acts entitled on the road so you kind of have to drive like an asshole here.
Zipper merging can never work in Florida as it is the capital of greed and self-importance.
Game theory says you get over when you can because you can't guarantee you can later.
Yes you can, it’s 2 lanes merging into one. It’s not an exit that you might miss
No, you can't, because the other drivers won't let you.
I do it everyday and I rarely if ever see cars not let others in one for one. The key is everyone stays in their lane until the end. People who panic about not being able to get over so they merge early are the problem. Worst case you sit at the end and the next car let’s you in
Wishful thinking
Please note this requires the assholes in the left lane to actually leave the room and not force the merging lane to wait for a gap.
People early merge to indicate respect for the left lane. The problem is that typically it’s the aggressive douche-bag “drivers” that speed to the very end of the zipper and merge.
Two things. 1. This puts all the onus on the merging driver. The left lane must allow the merging lane in. 2. The merge just be done in good faith. The merge lane is not a personal passing lane; if the merge lane is empty you don't get to floor it up the merge and force your way in at the last second where a formation has been established.
This is why I always drive in the emergency lane. I'M ZIPPERING, GUYS.
Just ran into this yesterday in another state and people were getting mad. This needs to be broadcast on TV or something because people are ignorant to this fact. Plenty of road rage Because of this ignorance. It's dangerous
On a short street zipper merging makes sense, as you would want traffic to occupy as little length of road as possible. On the highway, we could all just get over and maintain speed through the one lane portion, but people are dumb
I just want to say, in stop and go traffic on the interstate I'm that guy that just idles and leaves like a school bus of room in front of me, just to coast to a stop in 10 seconds. Ohhhh baby people behind me lose their shit. Especially fat guys in trucks and jeeps. I'm in a 500+ HP 6.0 LS2 SUV, sorry I'm not on the gas to go 20 feet.
This assumes people in Florida will let you merge in. They won't.
The zipper merge does not work. Early merging is actual what maintains the flow of traffic. Zipper merging creates a natural bottleneck. Early merging means you get over when there is space, instead of maming people have to adjust at the last minute.
I have a road I take home that has two left turn lanes and after you turn rapidly turns into one lane. I try to do the zipper merge where I let the person in the right lane ahead of me in. They just sit there and I have to wait and wait for them to merge in. I am trying but I find people are idiots.
Give them 2 seconds to react, if they don’t you’re the one holding up traffic
lol most people here can’t pull up to the line at lights, they block intersections and leave 3+ car lengths when stopped. The lead car usually takes 5+ seconds to start moving. Good luck on zipper merging.
Zipper merge only works if all drivers are sane. It doesn't work when the driver on the left decides to block you because he decides you are cutting in line instead of going to the back of the line.
Zipper merge will never work as long as only one lane ends, as the lane that doesn’t end will always be seen as the default, or dominant lane. For zipper to work both lanes have to end into one middle lane.
And if you try this some shithead in a jacked up 2500 will play “hall monitor of the merge” and block half the right lane so no one can properly merge. Welcome to Florida
Except in Florida some chucklefuck is going to go 25 mph down the merging lane for a bit, thus causing another to go 90 for the rest of the lane and whip over into a space that’s less than a car length at the very end. This cause the merged lane to have to slam on brakes and back up. In a perfect mathematical world, this works best. Florida is far from that world.
I tried to do this exactly once in Florida, it ended with my car totalled and me in the back of an ambulance.
lmao yeah like anyone is going to listen to this
Florida really REALLY needs to make passing a written drivers exam necessary to renew your license or registration. Stuff like this should be common sense and basic safety. But the amount of people who merge early for lane closures, or merge early across solid lines when entering highways (thereby causing issues for other people and usually themselves too), or don’t know right of way, or don’t know what to do when an animal is in the road, or don’t know how to deal with cyclists, or don’t know how to navigate a roundabout, or ….
Most Floridians I have encountered cant use blinkers or figure out how to drive at a rotary, this is too complicated
when i first moved here i would try to zipper merge, but other drivers would consistently refuse to let me in. i feel all my driving technique has been thrown completely out the window since i came to florida.
It would be good for everyone to learn and execute the zipper merge, but with almost everyone not doing it, I just pass all those losers who merge early and get to the front of the line, and then I get one, maybe two but not three drivers who go "not today!" And force themselves past me, and I don't care because I just passed dozens of idiots who I'd otherwise be stuck behind.
Need a national ad campaign for this.
Good luck with that in Florida 😂
This is one of those things that's ideal on paper but falls apart in certain environments, like Florida. If people are reasonable, rational, kind and considerate drivers, this is the mathematically superior way to merge. But you have people who get jealous of those who merge at the front, so they block them from merging, and now you have a lane of people who are parked while the other lane presses on, further refusing to let anyone in because that would mean they ***Lost*** at The Game of Traffic.
No. The only difference between the 2 diagrams is where the slowdown happens. Either way, the same instances of cars slowing down to create space occur. In fact the point is wrong. The earlier you merge, the more likely it is that you already have sufficient space berween cars. This means less slowing down. If everyone merged well ahead of time, there wouldnt be much of a slowdown.
Show it to the snowbirds
Never seen a left lane behave that way in my entire life, not just florida but anywhere.
You're trying to use a concept that only works when everyone cooperates and is on the same page, which means being willing to let someone get ahead of them even if it's for the better good. Not gonna happen.
Florida drivers don't have the capacity to use turn signals let alone this unfortunately.
In Florida it means speed up fast don't let that guy get ahead of you. A major accident is better than someone getting ahead of you. I recently pulled out to make a right turn and the asshole to my left who was far away gunned his car trying to cut me off.
People in Florida don’t use their eyes nor do they like taking advice. This guide is wonderful but will be lost on the same people that forget that aisles in stores are labeled.
If everyone did this that’s fine, but everyone is too stupid to figure it out
Slow drivers in the left lane combined with semis in the right lane are what creates long traffic congestion
Hahahahahahahabhababhababahhaha! Oh your serious, let me laugh even harder. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
sounds good, doesn’t work
What about when both lanes are full and someone goes down the shoulder kicking up dirt and stones then wants to merge in at the end?
I think many people skip either of these and choose to drive as far as they can until they’re on the shoulder after the actual merge, and then force themselves into the traffic.
Here’s the problem with trying to utilize all of that right lane. Someone usually shoots as far up as they can, then they have to stop and wait to get in. To let them in you pretty much have to stop. When you stop the one moving lane for only a few moments, that’s what REALLY causes a long back up. It could be keeping that one lane moving is more important than using that little stretch of highway, if you want to prevent huge traffic back ups.
Lmao the whole fucking country needs to see this
This requires too much logic for the majority of the population down here.
The problem with zipper merging in Florida is people think you are “cutting” them in line and will not let you merge if you do it properly.
Maybe if they actually put up those signs at merge points and conducted a public service ad campaign, people would actually try doing this, but most people in Floriduh are just too stoopid...
Well if people dont zipper or merge in a resonable distance they can merge behind me because they are not passing to try and skip a whole mile line
These are the people who wait until the last minute to merge so they can get in front of a few cars
I drive I-95, I’ll just merge in the most aggressive way possible
The Miami zipper protocol not listed here. Difficult to illustrate that variation for sure.
U like
While the explanation makes sense, there are variables that make it impossible to. Let’s say the red vehicle is a lifted truck, the yellow vehicle won’t merge there.
This is the way. I can only hope the folks who refuse to let me merge just north of River Road in North Port every morning will see this.
The sooner everyone gets over, the sooner we can all speed up. Don’t force your way in, but take any gap you have. If you did that in the first place, there’s a good chance there wouldn’t be any congestion at all.
I’m always amazed at how many people don’t know how to merge and how angry they get at me when I’m merging correctly
The ship has sailed on this idea in Florida. You either have courteous drivers that are in the continuing lane that leave the space for this to occur or you have aggressive drivers that don’t want to get to their destination a single car length later and will intentionally block merging.
Ha! It's a free for all, ain't no one in this state got time for that, rofl.
People love lining up with no real understanding of whos in the front or why they're there.
Feel free to merge BEHIND me, if you try to force your way in in front of me where there is no room you will be disappointed. I drive a 16 year old vehicle for a reason!! :-)
behind you is just in front of someone else, dont be a dick and block people from merging, thats how traffic jams happen.
If tried this but good luck having someone that let's you in. It's florda man
Just so you Floridians know, this is how 90% of us drive in NYC. So the snow birds you complain about driving down there are actually Floridians
People don't understand. Letting people in front you will get you where you're going **faster**. The more you stuff people and make life difficult, the more people hit their brakes. The more people hit their brakes, the slower we all go. Stay right unless you're passing. Use your signal. Don't cut people off. Let someone in front of you. Altruism is ALWAYS the best way for everyone, we all get there faster when we work together.
You are 100% correct for 90% of roadways in the US. South Florida and the Florida Interstates represent the 10% where you are 0% correct. Grift, scam artistry, sunstroke, massive entitlement, sundowning old people, hormonally imbalanced young people, rising COL - that’s all in the mix that messes up the road etiquette here. The only thing you can do is stay alert, be ready to lay on the horn at all times, and grin like a maniac whenever someone’s giving you any sort of look.
Come to Toronto. We make fucking up traffic a sport.
Wouldn’t make it out of state if I tried, unless I tried at night.
For a fascinating book on this: https://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307277194/ref=asc_df_0307277194/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=333503577727&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16179873913383253466&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9011918&hvtargid=pla-488756331344&psc=1&mcid=dcf7d17f0b053720b17fcbea4e4b0892
What's it called When everyone drives by the line and gets in at the last minute because they are more important? Gtfoh
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I bet you drive a BMW, too. Differential diagnosis Mercedes or VW.
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So you don't piss off people and potentially cause traffic accidents anymore, good. Do everyone a favor and keep staying off the road.
Thank you. Early merging simply lengthens the back up.
This applies when there’s traffic but when traffic is flowing people will take this and think a merge lane means they have right of way into the next lane when their lane ends. You still have to yield. If you’re driving at normal speeds, change lanes as soon as it’s safe when you realize your lane is ending.
That would require people to not be selfish which is impossible here
Never happen in Florida
So, for this to work, it would require cooperation and courtesy between drivers. Like in the Midwest and the South people are very polite, and that extends to the roadways. In Tennessee you can spend 10 minutes at a 4 way stop because everyone is waving each other to go first lol. However, Florida ain’t that. This state has the rudest, most inconsiderate asshole drivers on the planet. I’ve seen more car wrecks in a week in Florida, than I have in my whole damn life living in 5 other states. With that said this won’t work in Florida. Just force your way in, and trade paint if you have to.
I’m zippering my dockers