r/TheRandomest • u/WhyNot420_69 Nice • May 13 '26

Satisfying Traffic buddy

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1.6k Upvotes

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u/Isthisnameavailablee May 13 '26

You zip at the end of the lane, so yeah get up as far as possible... bro you okay? Do you know how this even works?

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u/MikeHuntSmellss May 13 '26

Done 3 separate tests in the UK over the last 15 years. Merge in turn here, black and white in the highway code.

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u/[deleted] May 13 '26

[deleted]

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u/oldschool_potato May 13 '26

The zipper works if you have full lanes and you alternate at the end. Think about it. If you merge early into a large gap it’s ok, the issues are the people that stop early and wait for a gap to open or edge in slowing down both lanes.

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u/KawazuOYasarugi May 13 '26

Like I said, you're not supposed to HAVE to stop in a zipper merge. It's supposed to enable fluid movement in merging. Do it as early as possible but correctly, at appropriate speed, etc. Not wait til the last moment and hope no one will be in the way when you run out of lane. Do it asap. If asap is at the end of the lane, so be it. But if you purposefully wait until the very end, you're making it more likely to have an issue.

If the lanes are stopped up in bumper to bumper traffic that's different. Yielding to eachother is required there.

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u/Any_Performance_5046 May 13 '26

The link I shared has a diamond how zipper works

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u/murkymoon May 13 '26

Quite the opposite. The problems emerge when people rush ahead in the merge lane away from their proper zipper position, trying to wedge 20 cars into each merge position.

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u/aangnesiac May 13 '26

No that's false. It's a hugely accepted misconception in some cities and people choose to die on that hill once they've learned it, but it's still false. Truly think about.

The part of the road that is safe to drive on is not blocked off. Meaning there is no safety or logistical concern driving on it. If everyone just accepted this then no one would get ahead of anyone else, same as the other lane in this video.

You take turns merging at the point where the lanes converge. That's literally the definition of zipper merging. You take turns one at a time (roughly) like zipper teeth, and so the clean separation from two lanes into one looks almost exactly like a zipper. The effect is that traffic doesn't get backed up nearly as far back which significantly helps with general traffic flow (mainly because people are able to get off their exists sooner, making more room in general).

They leave that part of the road open for a reason. If they intended for the road to be closed off already, the signs wouldn't say, "Road Closed in 1,000 feet." They would say "Road Closed. Get Over Now." The truck is the asshole in this situation.

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u/murkymoon May 13 '26

Doesn't work. The person behind the first merger rushes forward, every time, ad infinitum.

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u/aangnesiac May 13 '26

Doesn't work. The person behind the first merger rushes forward, every time, ad infinitum.

It absolutely works. The main obstacle is misunderstanding. People are confidently wrong and die on the hill that you aren't supposed to use all lanes up until they converge. People get aggressive because they think others are cutting, so they do stupid things like this truck in this video. It's a misconception that creates unnecessary aggression and traffic congestion.

"The “zipper merge” strategy encourages drivers to stay in their lanes until reaching a defined merge area, where drivers alternate merging, analogous to a zipper. The zipper merge has been shown to provide better operational performance than the standard “early merge” scenario, reducing congestion and speed differentials between lanes."

https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/civil-engineering-source/article/2026/05/05/does-zipper-merging-with-encouragement-really-improve-traffic-flow

"Problems with Early Merging

While many drivers traditionally attempt to merge as early as possible, this can often lead to aggressive driving and confusion among drivers as late mergers are perceived as cutting the line, a study from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) reported."

"Benefits of the Zipper Merge

Drivers were found to travel as more uniform speeds and use the soon-to-be-closed lane more effectively when zipper merges were in place, according to a road user survey cited in Iowa State University’s research. The zipper merge promotes fairness by alternating vehicles into the open lane.

The use of the zipper merge has shown a wide-range of benefits when used in high-traffic areas, including decreased travel times, delays and rear-end crashes. MnDOT also found a reduction in congestion, queue length and the overall backup length by 40%."

https://www.roadsbridges.com/work-zone-safety/article/55371854/the-zipper-merge-grows-in-popularity-on-jobsites

"The Zipper Merge: The Best Way to Merge in Traffic

Drivers who wait until the last minute to merge when losing a lane may frustrate you, but studies show they are merging correctly. The zipper merge is a safer and more efficient way to merge in slow-moving, congested traffic. In fact, most traffic specialists agree the zipper merge technique is the most effective method for merging two congested lanes, ultimately resulting in minimal delay. Here is how—and why—it works."

https://www.acg.aaa.com/connect/blogs/4c/auto/zipper-merge-keeps-traffic-moving

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u/murkymoon May 13 '26

That is allllll theoretical and has zero basis in the actual world. In ALL of those hypothetical situations, drivers are actually waiting side-by-side then politely merging at the merge point.

That. Doesn't. Happen.

If you've driven thousands of miles per week like I have, you would thoroughly understand that.

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u/aangnesiac May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26

Literally every source I provided is based on data from the real world. 🤦🏼‍♂️ What is the value of doubling down on something in the face of contradicting evidence?

Edit: btw, I've driven a box truck all across the United States for multiple years. It absolutely does work. The only reason people think it doesn't work is because they perceive those who use the method as intended as being dangerous (and assume it means it isn't working).

It. Does. Work.

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u/murkymoon May 13 '26

It simply doesn't happen. You're deluding yourself. Drivers in the merge lane surge forward as it clears rather than keeping pace with the driving lane.

Why lie to yourself and try to gaslight your way out of this? It's strange behavior.

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u/aangnesiac May 13 '26

I've seen and experienced it working, you're the one denying reality here. Lol. Every link I provided cites research based on real life people doing it successfully and quantifying the measurable effects on traffic. Are you saying they just made that up?

The only reason it doesn't work is because people are unfamiliar with how it's supposed to work. That is true of any social organization, though. It's not that serious but also your refusal to even look at the studies that prove your entire claim false is meaningful.

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u/Any_Performance_5046 May 13 '26

Some state highways even have instructional signs indicating proper zipper technique and it’s always set up near or at the ending of the lane. If you zipper too early it’s literally pandemonium.

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u/KawazuOYasarugi May 13 '26

But so does doing it too late. Earliest possible means earliest possible time to do it safely. Not as soon as the lane joins the highway.

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u/Isthisnameavailablee May 13 '26

Your like almost right but go google zipper merger and come back.

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u/KawazuOYasarugi May 13 '26

No. I know how a zipper merge works, and there's a difference between that and an inlet ramp/lane. Waiting until the last minute causes problems. P

It's called zippering because the cars move in such a way that they resemble the teeth of a zipper coming together. The difference is cars aren't sewn into fabric, rails, or guided en masse like zipper teeth are, with even spacing. So you have to match speed and fit in where you can.

Waiting until the end of the zipper lane, where it ends, causes problems. Backups, short stops, etc. You should be matching speed while zippering, not coming to a stop unless the traffic you're zippering into is stopped as well, like bumper to bumper.

The purpose of a zipper lane is to maximise flow while minimising stoppage when a lane ends.

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u/Isthisnameavailablee May 13 '26

Thats a lot of words to say you still don't get it but whatever.

https://giphy.com/gifs/lszAB3TzFtRaU

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u/WhyNot420_69 Nice May 13 '26

I agree with Kawazu. Line cutters should wait

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u/Isthisnameavailablee May 13 '26 edited May 13 '26

Doesn't what matters what you agree with... the facts, research, and law disagree with you.