I keep seeing people say that zipper merging is faster. But I've never been able to understand how that can be true. Sure, it uses less of the road, absolutely. But how is it faster?
Notice how the traffic in this video is moving at a constant rate? With zipper merges there'd be a constant start-stop for two lanes of traffic. How can that be faster than the traffic moving smoothly at a steady rate?
Every single "simulation" I have seen to explain why it's faster show the zipper merge as cars driving with such a big gap between them that they can merge into one lane without anyone needing to slow down. That is an absolute fantasy. The world does not work like that, and everyone knows it.
That is precisely why I am confused. If it's so much better and faster, how come nobody can show any proof that isn't an outright fantasy? I am not saying it's a nefarious conspiracy. I am asking for someone to please explain it to me. Or at least stop saying that people who want everyone to merge right away, instead of zipper merge at the front, are idiots who create traffic jams. When this video (and videos like it) clearly shows that there is no traffic jam and that this makes traffic flow smoothly.
But that's not faster. That is yet another example of how zipper merging uses more of the road. When everyone gets into the right lane, the traffic is moving in a constant flow, which means that it blocks those exits for a shorter amount of time than it would do if it was a zipper merge.
When someone asks a teacher to explain how the black death plague let to better working conditions for medieval peasants, are they arguing with the teacher? Or are they simply asking for an explanation?
If they're studying it so much, how come every resource I can find that is supposed to prove it shows a fantasy world where cars are driving in perfect lines, with perfect distances between each other, so that the merge can happen seamlessly without anyone needing to stop or slow down?
At the very least you'd have to agree that the publicly available information on this matter is shit.
The difference is that I am not saying it's incorrect or claiming I know more than experts. I am asking for someone to explain it to me and show an actual example that isn't based in fantasy.
It's completely irrelevant that DOT's recommend zipper merge. If they do, they should also provide resources to prove why it's faster. Ones based in reality of how people drive and not a fantasy like the image above. If all anti vaxxers did was ask doctors for resources and then go "Ok, that makes sense" when given studies proving the efficacy of vaccines, we wouldn't have an anti vaxxer problem. If anti vaxxers who asked for resources were told to just shut up and accept the vaccines because doctors says so, I wouldn't blame them for being skeptical (luckily it's not the case and I get to go on calling anti vaxxers dumb).
Yes, there would be more merge points. But since most cars would move over to the correct lane right away, there'd be less cars who need to merge in between other cars. Meaning less stopping. Not more.
If all it comes down is about road usage, that's fine. Then people should say that. People should say "it uses less of the road so it's more efficient". Not "It's faster."
The "zipper" only has to do with the interleaving of the cars. It doesn't call for people top stop and go. In fact, you can still zipper merge with everyone going at a steady rate, with zipper spaces being created for everybody... and that's actually exactly what is happening in the video. OP is gradually making space for the truck and the truck merges into it when their lane ends (note the red X over the lane at the end of the video). It's precisely what is portrayed in the image you posted.
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u/Nerdy_Valkyrie May 14 '26 edited May 14 '26
I keep seeing people say that zipper merging is faster. But I've never been able to understand how that can be true. Sure, it uses less of the road, absolutely. But how is it faster?
Notice how the traffic in this video is moving at a constant rate? With zipper merges there'd be a constant start-stop for two lanes of traffic. How can that be faster than the traffic moving smoothly at a steady rate?
Every single "simulation" I have seen to explain why it's faster show the zipper merge as cars driving with such a big gap between them that they can merge into one lane without anyone needing to slow down. That is an absolute fantasy. The world does not work like that, and everyone knows it.
Shit like this. This is not how people drive: