A lot of people get peeved when they see someone merge into traffic right as their lane ends, but transportation officials agree— this is the safer and faster way for traffic to proceed onto highways from on-ramps or while changing lanes ahead of a lane closure. It's called a "zipper merge," and like a zipper, it involves two pieces merging into one without interruption.
According to AAA, a zipper merge is when a car stays in its lane "up to the final merge point," which is when the driver evaluates the traffic in the other lane and merges once space becomes available.
When motorists utilize the zipper merge method, they maximize the available space for traffic to move in one direction, which also regulates the movement of traffic from rapid, start/stop driving to a more continuous flow.
A study by the Minnesota Department of Transportation shows that an effective zipper merge can reduce the duration of a traffic slowdown by up to 40%.
However, it's important to note that an effective zipper merge requires the participation of multiple motorists and tends to fail if people in the through lane block drivers from merging. Furthermore, the vehicle merging must maintain a consistent speed and signal their desire to merge in a timely manner.
So the next time you're merging onto I-84 from the Connector or moving across lanes on Karcher Road, make sure to stay patient and remain in your lane until it's time to merge!
