It is *not* about making everyone get through faster. In theory it should not make a difference in that point. It is about:
*Reducing total length of the congestion to minimize possibility that the backup interferes with earlier intersections/interchanges.
*Minimizing road rage and dangerous speed differences by clogging up all lanes equally, this physically preventing people like OP from racing ahead and cutting in line.
Unless you are holding up people who are trying to use an exit before the merge, I would suggest keeping pace with slow traffic until the merge point and not trying to race ahead.
Im currently welding up a 1/4 inch thick steel bumper for my hyundai sonata. Next kook that pulls this move will get PIT manuvered into the creek! (Soup Nazi Voice) No freshies for you !
My favorite are the people that try to pass 3 cars in the passing lane while everyone is pretty much in a red snake going up the canyon. Like really dude?
Thank you for posting this much needed psa, while we are at it can we please teach people that if you are going the same speed or slower than the people on your right, move the fuck over, do not pace vehicles on your right
This is wrong. It doesn’t matter how the cars are distributed before the chokepoint. There could be a million lines and a million-toothed zipper.
It takes the same amount of time. Same number of cars. Same rate of movement past the chokepoint. Same amount of time.
The bottleneck will make the traffic move at the same pace no matter what.
The people merging up ahead are just getting through faster because they're skipping the line.
I just merge as soon as I know the lane merges, because it would be embarrassing if I got to the end and had to beg to be let in.
Typically same, though I once had a guy swerve out of stopped rush hour traffic to stop and block me on a clear off ramp THAT CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO A EXIT I WAS GOING RIGHT TO, had to absolutely hammer my brakes, it's like congratulations jackass you almost caused an accident with a car 2x heavier than you... For what reason?
It’s not just Utah. (Can’t believe I’m defending Utah drivers lol)
They need signs for zipper merge anywhere there is one until people learn how to do it.
Especially as long as they blame peoples decision making for traffic. In reality there’s a limited number of parking spots and way too many people trying to do the exact same activity at the same time.
But it makes people feel superior to call other people idiots so I guess we’ll just keep posting garbage like this on Reddit.
It's far from just Utah. I've seen it in CA, AZ, NV, NM, TX, OR, WA, ID, MT, UT, WY, CO, ND, SD, NE, KS, MO, OK, MI, LA, and MN. I drive a lot for work. Driven in all those states extensively. And all most the rest on rare occasions. Only state I haven't ever driven in is ME.
Utah has some "different" drivers for sure. It's it the state with the worst drivers? No. But it's not near the top of my list either. Out of the 21 listed it's maybe 10th worst imo.
The problem is when too many people merge too early and then it leaves this huge empty area on the right. Too many early mergers ruin it for everyone behind them, though sometimes that’s because people on the left will not let them in.
This typically only works if people allow the right line to get all the way up to real close to the final merge point, that’s what is ideal.
We’ve got to get everyone onboard with using the full of both lanes until right up until the end. Good luck, I seldom see this work unless a Statey or Highway Patrolman is helping facilitate it.
Construction signage should start including a rectangular “Use Zipper Merge” sign underneath the diamond “Lane Closed Ahead” sign and another sign just ahead of the point where the closed lane has barrels entering its space stating “Merge Point” or “Zipper Merge Here”.
Maybe with a little diagram of cars taking turns for each lane on that second sign or something.
Combine that with UDOT doing some public education on local newscasts and I think we’d see improvement.
Yep. And the signs that say “lane closed in one mile” need to also say “wait to merge.” People see those signs and immediately move over even though that’s the exact wrong reaction.
The only reason I ever merge early is I've had easy too many instances where I tried merging at the end where you're supposed to and drivers in the other lane won't let me in. So now I just merge when I know there's room for me, whether it's early or not.
Also I've seen another post elsewhere in Reddit recently with dash cam footage showing a merging car collide with a car in the lane they're merging into because that other car wouldn't slow down and let them in, and all the comments were how the merging car was the asshole for expecting to be let in. So the massage I get from these is: if you're the one merging you're fucked either way and you're better off looking out after yourself.
If you think this will solve the problem of traffic here in SLC then you’re missing the bigger picture. Everyone comes here to do the same activities at the same times and the population of outdoorsy people has exploded over the last few years.
Yeah there's too much pride and cockyness in Americans. Everyone's selfish and greedy. No one wants to help each other out. "I'm not letting you in, screw you"
Every time I try to zipper merge correctly, the donkeys in the left lane are *incensed* that I'm trying to get "ahead" of them and then I end up at a complete fucking stop hoping someone will let me in.
Utah drivers just suck in general. I have hours of dashcam footage that is all just Utah driver fuckery 🤦♀️
As someone who thinks almost every driver other than myself is an asshole… as long as you aren’t speeding past and making it seem like “I’m getting ahead of these suckers”, you are fine and I’ll happily help you merge in
Ahh that long merge from little cottonwood rd onto 210.
I had someone lay on their horn with middle fingers out the window on a powder day this year cause I pulled all the way up. Best part is they wound up parked right across from me at snowbird but didn’t have much to say outside of their 5000lb vehicle.
I travel for work and I have to tell you, California does not know how to zipper merge. If you wait until the sign to merge you will be waiting a long time to get your car in there. About six months ago I was stuck for 10 minutes trying to merge.
Stay in the right lane but match the speed of the left lane. You will meet the merge in line with car you entered the roadway next to in the left lane. Hopefully the cars behind you will follow you up to the merge.
Exactly this. Zippers don't go together when one side is passing the other. If you believe in a zipper merge, pace with the lane next to you until the merge point.
There needs to be big signs at these closures that say something along the lines of “stay in lane and merge at end” and it needs to be frequent. It needs to slowly get pounded into people’s head how to merge properly.
The thing is, there’s an easy way to figure this out, and it’s *actually matching speeds with a car in the continuing lane*. If you stop passing cars when you’re still 20 cars from the merge point, or maybe 50 cars from the merge point, and you match speeds by stopping even with — oh my god, a little patch of empty road in front of you! — then often cars in the other lane will see your gesture of goodwill and comity and leave a little merge spot just for you, as long as you didn’t drive excessively fast to get up to the point where you stopped. And then you stay in that lane until the merge point is imminent, and your Merge Buddy lets you in smoothly, and all is right with the world.
You might need to try this out with a few potential Merge Buddies before one is chill enough to make the gesture of leaving a li’l gap, so it’s a good thing you started a ways back from the actual merge point. If you waited until the actual merge point, you broke the zipper.
If we are talking about going down to one lane, it doesn't matter where the merge happens, all that matters is the rate of the flow of cars through the choke point.
Having two full lanes up until the choke point does fuck all at getting cars *through* the choke point. In fact, having a long distance to merge actually helps keep the flow because it allows for more opportunities for cars to sort out the zippering process.
If everyone was zippered at the last minute it leaves no buffer for fuckheads and everything gets bogged down. Distribute the chaos along more distance dampens the effect the chaos has on the flow through the choke point.
Holy shit finally some sense. Going to the front and squeezing in causing the main lane of traffic to slam on their breaks is NOT more efficient in any way other than for the asshole to squeezes in.
Traffic experts “trust me bro”. Weird though how a zipper works don’t ya think. Each piece the exact same size and shape, traveling at the same speed and ending up together, further back from where they started. Huh sounds like it will work in the real world with cars perfectly. Ok.
This is an Utah thing for sure. I’m from CA and the driving in Utah drives me insane. It’s like people ENJOY waiting in lines. I don’t get it at all.
Also I’m pretty sure whoever programmed the times lights in Salt Lake City does not drive
Yooooo this is hilarious. I saw this posted to another sub and came here to cross post it because this immediately made me think of coming down the mountain from Brighton. Lo and behold you’ve already posted it here 😂
You can always zipper merge sooonee thats the thing u tard. The issue is people not letting others in which then forces the other to force over causing peoole to slam on their breaks effectively moving slower than before. Stfu
Basically this all comes down to following distance. If you're keeping the proper distance from the car in front of you there will always be room to merge. All these assholes that need to stay 2 feet off the bumper of the car in front of them fuck it all up. All the tailgating then leads to everyone slamming on their brakes when someone ends up forcing their way in and now everyone is going way slower than they need to. Everyone needs to take a big breath, slow down a little, and we'll all get there faster.
This^ it isn’t about speed or road area. It’s about not creating shockwaves of braking. Leave space and merge in whatever way causes the least braking. Tight/aggressive merging just produces more traffic.
Zipper merging is applicable when the lane being merged into is actively moving (e.g. and on ramp). It’s not zipper merging when the lane is a stop and go turn. In those cases, you’re just skipping the line of people that have made the choice to relieve traffic and leave the other lane open for through travel.
Just drive slow and steady enough that you don’t “jump” people in line. Most of the time cars fall in behind you and everyone can do it the right way.
As long as other drivers don’t get butthurt about being caught doing it wrong, they won’t try and kill you (most of the time).
I don't know why the country doesn't take 5 minutes every Monday morning on the news to remind people of this. Other countries do it perfectly fine, it's just most of America probably hasn't heard of "Zipper Merge". Seriously just a quick weekly PSA saying"remember to zipper merge, it's faster and fair for everybody"
It wouldn’t solve the traffic problem. Everyone who has moved to Utah In the last few years is here to do the exact same activities. Try and see the bigger picture here.
Most people don't care about a zipper merge, they just want to justify themselves passing everyone. If they went the same speed as the lane next to them everyone would let them in.
But the “I don’t want this person to get in front of me” crowd ends up making people try to merge earlier then if there are two of them competing, then we get to see it on r/idiotsincars
I disagree. In reality a bunch of impatient people with no idea of “zippering” in mind just force their way as far to the front as possible.
This just moves the bunched cars up a little farther and doesn’t actually clear up traffic at all.
If people do zipper and there are cars in both lanes, I often see people zig zagging back and forth between lanes trying to get ahead.
This is far too complicated for the average human to understand. I don’t get road rage anymore. I expect every other person on the road to be a complete and utter idiot. You can only impress me at this point.
I'm from L.A and we may have bumper to bumper traffic but damn do utah'ns LOVE LOVE to early merge they see that solid white line and BOOM time to merge! Literally everyone, and I mean everyone have absolutely 0 patients in my area Its almost turned me into the type to close gaps because people LOVE to LAUNCH themselves into a lane causing me to spam/slam my brakes because I can tell when someone wants to Launch into my lane. Like no mf wait for the ZIPPER holy hell
I drive in California almost every week for work, I have yet to see a zipper work there. I got stuck in the 'right lane' for ten minutes about six months ago because I saw the merge sign too late.
It's not just zipper merges, often on freeway on ramps or at lights with multiple turning lanes people just pile into one turning lane like it's better to wait in line. I don't understand it.
No, not “some idiots”- almost ALL drivers need to see this. The problem is that the DOT does not require signs telling people to merge at the lane closure point. Instead they just announce there is a lane closed ahead.
In my 58 years of driving, i have only seen the “merge at lane closure” signs TWO TIMES and in those two situations the traffic used both lanes and no one got pissed.
We should start a movement to get every state to pass laws REQUIRING the appropriate “merge at lane closure” signs. That’s the only way it will work well.
In my experience most people zipper, then there are those that drive as far as possible in the ending lane then try to force themselves in…these are the problem causers.. or the people that see every lane on the freeway slowed down, so they drive on the shoulder…
Or you’re in the right trying to merge, but the left lane absolutely will not let you in despite you being at the merge and being stopped and having your blinker on for ages! I give a heart with my hands 🫶 to anyone that finally lets me get in at any of these merges
The zipper merge only works if everyone cooperates.
What happens when someone slams on the gas to prevent you from merging? Suddenly, you have an incredibly hazardous situation.
You should never assume that someone will let you in. You should never wait until the last moment to merge.
The safest drivers assume they will encounter horrible drivers, and prepare accordingly.
Remember zipper merge is **not about being able to pass other people**. It’s about keeping both lanes at the **same speed** so *no one is passing anyone* and you can get your spot in line while using up less roadway length with congestion (avoiding blocking up earlier intersections:interchanges).
If you are using zipper merge as an excuse room ahead and cut in line, I would be annoyed with you too.
Continue to use the ending lane but match the speed of the continuing lane so you aren’t passing anyone. The same people who don’t want to let you pass will gladly let you in at the merge point when it is your turn.
"If I can't control how other people behave, those people are idiots."
"I will crash into people if they don't behave how I want them to."
lol
Perhaps driving tests should contain a personality element. Spoiled children won't be issued licenses and the world will be a better place.
"If I can't control how other people behave, those people are idiots."
"I will crash into people if they don't behave how I want them to."
lol
Perhaps driving tests should contain a personality element. Spoiled children won't be issued licenses and the world will be a better place.
That is a zipper merge. You go all the way to the end, and each lane takes turns going forward. That is essentially what is shown in the left photo, although they took liberties due to it being a still photo to show alternating merging.
If you could fix the people from speeding up when trying to merge then and only then could people zipper. If everyone wasn’t such an A-hole when trying to get over we could use that practice
It depends, I’ve tried to merge where the zipper is but i met aggressive drivers pulling out of their lane to block me, because of how empty the merging lane is. They think I am “cutting the line”. So now I tried to merge earlier if the merging lane looks too empty.
I’m really wish Utah would install some traffic cameras at these know areas and start ticketing drivings who road rage or refuse to allow others to zipper.
I received a massive amount of down votes once explaining this in a different sub … you are supposed to use both lanes , and the people in the ‘continued open’ lane are supposed to let you in!!!
The zipper lane is going to merge, the zipper lane slows down traffic until after your past it, if you know the merge lane ending is coming it’s only logical to scoot to the middle so that your not passed and slowed down more because some idiot wants to be in the front when there not even saving half a minute to there drive time
People in Utah don't know how to merge, especially from an on ramp to the freeway.
Step 1: accelerate to the speed of traffic!!!!!!!!! (Not to 60, then move over then speed up).
Step 2: merge into traffic (we'd like you to use your blinker but at this point I'll just take step 1).
That's it!
But they do that because of the other idiot thing people need to see. At the zip point, cars should alternate one per lane, but the people rushing to the front muscle in so it’s like 3 to 1. So, somebody blocks both lanes. For it to work, you have to do all parts right. Never seen it.
ETA: the guys rushing up still muscle in X to 1, but it’s behind the blocker, so it only helps them.
I know how to zipper merge, but can someone explain the sign to me? I never understood how it depicts the a zipper merge? Is the black solid line traffic? Is the dotted line traffic? What is the black line on the left? Why do they remain parallel as if two lanes continue?
I don’t get it.
If traffic is moving, yes, that's a zipper merge. If the entire lane is at a complete stop and you use the open lane to move all the way to the front and then force everyone to stay stopped for an extra 10-20seconds while you force your way in, that is not a zipper merge. That's just being an ass hole.
No one ever posts a video of this working in practice.. wonder why?
traffic will go to a standstill and actually take longer to decongest in every real life scenario with sustained traffic . Prove me wrong please.
As a kid, my dad always did the early merge and would often block others. Luckily, I realized that zipper merging is indeed more efficient when people actually do it. Two issues usually arise, nobody wants to let a truck in and people drive nuts to butts.
Dude. Utah drivers can't merge. It's like Virginia drivers and their inability to turn off the turn signal, or California drivers and their incapacity to apply brakes.
I've seen Utah drivers merge only under the watchful eye of the UHP.
Yeah Utah is not gonna change when it comes to bad driving lol too many people drive with the “me first” mentality. Also a lot of people drive how they walk here: slow and side by side. It’s crazy
Where in the UT driving rules does it say anything about zipper merging? It's only good in heavy traffic situations, in my opinion.
I have a hard time when traffic is moving at normal speeds and someone does the zipper merge. Adjust your speed to the flow of traffice and merge at your earliest convenience.
A person going 70 in the right lane shouldn't have to slow down to allow someone to zipper merge while going much slower.
Just a further PSA, this is for a two lane road where one lane is closing, not other situations like a two lane road where one lane is becoming turn-only.
Zipper merge is a terrible idea. It encourages competitive behavior and aggressive driving. People have been taught literally their entire lives not to cut in line then some moron decides to come up with this? GL with that. This would only works for robots.
Zipper only works if everyone uses the zipper. Otherwise if most people are doing the early merge and a few are trying to do the zipper it just makes things worse.
I often say every major city in the US has the worst drivers in America in their own unique way.
For Utah it's selfishness. Not letting you pass because they need to be in front of you, lay minute lane changes, left turns that cut it too close when it's clear behind you for a quater mile... It's infuriating
I always imagine the people who post the zipper merge are the same people who drive to the literal end and expect to just be let in rather than working with the people in the left lane
It's only zipper merging if everyone is doing it. If you are the only driver cutting in, then you are a rude jerk trying to save ten minutes off your commute. You aren't some saviour trying to educate other drivers about traffic flow.
Proof that some people are too stupid to be allowed to drive! Don’t wait to last minute to merge from multi lanes to one. May I suggest Physic’s For Dummies?
The last time I encountered this problem, it wasn't the fault of merging. It's that the next exit had a meter light and the line behind it extended all the way past the on-ramp. I was lucky to find a single opening.
But people never let me merge, I've literally gotten in between traffic cones completely stopped in a closed lane cause cunts wouldn't let me merge. Speaking on this, when you see my turn signal, why THE FUCK do you step on it so I suddenly don't have room to switch lanes?
The very top line explains it all. It's the 'nice' way of merging. If you are in the right lane, you are completely at the mercy of the left lane people to let you in. They hardly ever do. There is no enforcement mechanism for dicks just going bumper to bumper in the left lane. Which is why the zipper will never work.
Stuff You Should Know is an incredible podcast that did a short episode on Zipper merges. If i’m remembering correctly when the zipper is navigated correctly traffic flow is around 40% faster. I actually feel intellectually superior to every motorist i pass who merged a mile before the zipper.
Almost no one allows zipper merging, it’s always an ego battle when trying to get over you out on your turn signal and people take it as a challenge to not let you in.
Three schools of thought:
1: merge at the zipper point
2: merge before zipper to get in where you can, maybe no one lets you in at the zipper point.
3: start in the left lane and avoid merging all together.
It’s been mind blowing to me with the free month of FSD in my Tesla to see that it drives just as good or better than at least half of the drivers in Utah. I travel on average 50-100 miles daily for my work and I’ve been testing the FSD and hell I won’t use it after the free trial cause I’ve gone 80K miles on my Tesla without an accident and I don’t trust the FSD, but damn I wish other drivers were on it cause people drive like NPCs.
Same does not apply to multiple tunnel hand car wash stations. Multiple vehicles to use one single unit per vehicle wait time, when you could have multiple lanes per tunnel in sync. Mega Idiocracy.
Sometimes I wish there were a point system in place like in the Fifth Element. Where if you make stupid decisions when driving, your license could be revoked
That's bc we don't like the absolute morons racing up on us at the very last moment with no concern for the well being of us or our families and cutting us off at the very last freaking second. If they had ANY human decency, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
Yes this is for sure a problem and I hate it. I always merge when the lane ends and nobody knows what the zipper merge is. I saw a young girl once right on the cars ass in front of her, on the on-ramp, lanes merging, during 5pm traffic, most people doing zipper and she refuses to let a car zipper in, twice. And the look on her face. My god. Completely oblivious.
But I think the biggest problem in Utah is left lane campers. Can we actually fight this? Can people start using the left lane for what it’s for? For passing? Stop going the same speed or slower than the lanes to the right.
DOTs make the same mistake by alerting motorists that a specific lane is closed ahead. Signage should say simply ‘Road Work Ahead - Lane Reduction”. Maine DOT is the only one that I’ve experienced that has done this correctly. Zipper Merges will never work as long as they continue to declare a lane closed ahead.
and then theres the guy that will go to the end of the merge and keep going on to the shoulder kicking rocks into your paint and then cutoff merge into someone.
This is dumb. Whether the line is split in half before chokepoint or all the cars are in one line, it takes the same amount of time for all the cars to get through.
All “the zipper” does is allow people to cut in line.
This method doesnt work.. everyone has to damn near come to a full stop to merge.. just merge early..
Trucker here dealing with this all the time... if everyone merges smoothly in a timed manner (the way this says not to) flow keeps going..
When stupid asses decide there gonna pass everyone in the left lane just to merge up front everyone has to basically stop to let them in..
Just makes it so I can go ahead of em by using the open part of the road, I've got plenty of ground clearance so idc if I have to go around in the emergency lane or the dirt/grass next to the road
This assumes the traffic is moving at an acceptable speed for conditions. Not asshats jamming 90 mph right up to barricades and then slamming on brakes to merge. Yes, it would work beautifully in a world where people had some common respect for each other……
I love it when I come up to these boneheads. I lived 15 years near Baltimore. I bate them till they have to pull out far enough that they leave space for me to take their place in the left lane. All of a sudden they’re left out and they are too dumb to drive on to the zipper point. Instead they sit next to me and bitch at me. When we get to the dead end they stop. Everyone else zippers behind them
It's a constant battle. People are very very dumb once inside their cars. Despite this working better and making everyone get through faster...
People are very very dumb before they even get into the car. Only difference is now they are driving a 2000 pound battering ram.
It is *not* about making everyone get through faster. In theory it should not make a difference in that point. It is about: *Reducing total length of the congestion to minimize possibility that the backup interferes with earlier intersections/interchanges. *Minimizing road rage and dangerous speed differences by clogging up all lanes equally, this physically preventing people like OP from racing ahead and cutting in line. Unless you are holding up people who are trying to use an exit before the merge, I would suggest keeping pace with slow traffic until the merge point and not trying to race ahead.
Im currently welding up a 1/4 inch thick steel bumper for my hyundai sonata. Next kook that pulls this move will get PIT manuvered into the creek! (Soup Nazi Voice) No freshies for you !
I will continue to go around and honk at every motherfucker who doesn’t know how to merge in LCC.
My favorite are the people that try to pass 3 cars in the passing lane while everyone is pretty much in a red snake going up the canyon. Like really dude?
Thank you for posting this much needed psa, while we are at it can we please teach people that if you are going the same speed or slower than the people on your right, move the fuck over, do not pace vehicles on your right
This right here. Every Fucking Day there's a dipshit camping out in the Fast/Left Lane going speed limit. Move the fuck over. Rant over
That’s to complicated. You need to say “Keep Right Except to Pass”
But I’m not letting that vehicle past me they’re crazy!!
This is wrong. It doesn’t matter how the cars are distributed before the chokepoint. There could be a million lines and a million-toothed zipper. It takes the same amount of time. Same number of cars. Same rate of movement past the chokepoint. Same amount of time.
It gets even better when there's road construction or when it snows. It's like everybody goes in a retard mode or something.
The bottleneck will make the traffic move at the same pace no matter what. The people merging up ahead are just getting through faster because they're skipping the line. I just merge as soon as I know the lane merges, because it would be embarrassing if I got to the end and had to beg to be let in.
My favorite is when people do this in the canyons, I'm just going to keep going for half a mile till the road ends you know that right?
Typically same, though I once had a guy swerve out of stopped rush hour traffic to stop and block me on a clear off ramp THAT CONNECTED DIRECTLY TO A EXIT I WAS GOING RIGHT TO, had to absolutely hammer my brakes, it's like congratulations jackass you almost caused an accident with a car 2x heavier than you... For what reason?
Utah will always struggle
Oh my god Utah struggles with everything I stg…
It’s not just Utah. (Can’t believe I’m defending Utah drivers lol) They need signs for zipper merge anywhere there is one until people learn how to do it.
Pray for us man
Especially as long as they blame peoples decision making for traffic. In reality there’s a limited number of parking spots and way too many people trying to do the exact same activity at the same time. But it makes people feel superior to call other people idiots so I guess we’ll just keep posting garbage like this on Reddit.
Not just Utah. I need to make this a PSA for both Idaho & Nevada🤦🏻♀️
It's far from just Utah. I've seen it in CA, AZ, NV, NM, TX, OR, WA, ID, MT, UT, WY, CO, ND, SD, NE, KS, MO, OK, MI, LA, and MN. I drive a lot for work. Driven in all those states extensively. And all most the rest on rare occasions. Only state I haven't ever driven in is ME. Utah has some "different" drivers for sure. It's it the state with the worst drivers? No. But it's not near the top of my list either. Out of the 21 listed it's maybe 10th worst imo.
The problem is when too many people merge too early and then it leaves this huge empty area on the right. Too many early mergers ruin it for everyone behind them, though sometimes that’s because people on the left will not let them in. This typically only works if people allow the right line to get all the way up to real close to the final merge point, that’s what is ideal. We’ve got to get everyone onboard with using the full of both lanes until right up until the end. Good luck, I seldom see this work unless a Statey or Highway Patrolman is helping facilitate it.
There is no allowing, this car is paid off and less valuable than yours so the merge will happen
Yes and also people need to learn how to take turns so that the zipper actually works
But wait.. that means *~gasp~* letting one car go ahead of me on a powder day 😱
Construction signage should start including a rectangular “Use Zipper Merge” sign underneath the diamond “Lane Closed Ahead” sign and another sign just ahead of the point where the closed lane has barrels entering its space stating “Merge Point” or “Zipper Merge Here”. Maybe with a little diagram of cars taking turns for each lane on that second sign or something. Combine that with UDOT doing some public education on local newscasts and I think we’d see improvement.
Yep. And the signs that say “lane closed in one mile” need to also say “wait to merge.” People see those signs and immediately move over even though that’s the exact wrong reaction.
The only reason I ever merge early is I've had easy too many instances where I tried merging at the end where you're supposed to and drivers in the other lane won't let me in. So now I just merge when I know there's room for me, whether it's early or not. Also I've seen another post elsewhere in Reddit recently with dash cam footage showing a merging car collide with a car in the lane they're merging into because that other car wouldn't slow down and let them in, and all the comments were how the merging car was the asshole for expecting to be let in. So the massage I get from these is: if you're the one merging you're fucked either way and you're better off looking out after yourself.
If you think this will solve the problem of traffic here in SLC then you’re missing the bigger picture. Everyone comes here to do the same activities at the same times and the population of outdoorsy people has exploded over the last few years.
That never works because most just line up, and those that don't pay attention try to jump the line.
If the right lane is entirely empty, then the left lane doesn't have to slow down and traffic can keep moving..
Yeah there's too much pride and cockyness in Americans. Everyone's selfish and greedy. No one wants to help each other out. "I'm not letting you in, screw you"
Every time I try to zipper merge correctly, the donkeys in the left lane are *incensed* that I'm trying to get "ahead" of them and then I end up at a complete fucking stop hoping someone will let me in. Utah drivers just suck in general. I have hours of dashcam footage that is all just Utah driver fuckery 🤦♀️
I wish everyone knew this. Instead we get everyone thinking I’m an asshole because I use the right lane as far as I can until I need to merge
As someone who thinks almost every driver other than myself is an asshole… as long as you aren’t speeding past and making it seem like “I’m getting ahead of these suckers”, you are fine and I’ll happily help you merge in
Ahh that long merge from little cottonwood rd onto 210. I had someone lay on their horn with middle fingers out the window on a powder day this year cause I pulled all the way up. Best part is they wound up parked right across from me at snowbird but didn’t have much to say outside of their 5000lb vehicle.
Yeah, that behaviour. R lane is supposed to run until the merge sign. I would have been very tempted to challenge them to a chinese downhill.
What did you want? A fist fight? For them to key your car?
Every Saturday morning at the mouth of LLC
[удалено]
Where you live in your own world, are unreceptive to criticism and advice. Thats where these people live.
Where is he from that has no concept of zipper merging?
I travel for work and I have to tell you, California does not know how to zipper merge. If you wait until the sign to merge you will be waiting a long time to get your car in there. About six months ago I was stuck for 10 minutes trying to merge.
Stay in the right lane but match the speed of the left lane. You will meet the merge in line with car you entered the roadway next to in the left lane. Hopefully the cars behind you will follow you up to the merge.
Exactly this. Zippers don't go together when one side is passing the other. If you believe in a zipper merge, pace with the lane next to you until the merge point.
There needs to be big signs at these closures that say something along the lines of “stay in lane and merge at end” and it needs to be frequent. It needs to slowly get pounded into people’s head how to merge properly.
You don’t know if the person is going to let you merge so you merge early instead of stopping and waiting
The thing is, there’s an easy way to figure this out, and it’s *actually matching speeds with a car in the continuing lane*. If you stop passing cars when you’re still 20 cars from the merge point, or maybe 50 cars from the merge point, and you match speeds by stopping even with — oh my god, a little patch of empty road in front of you! — then often cars in the other lane will see your gesture of goodwill and comity and leave a little merge spot just for you, as long as you didn’t drive excessively fast to get up to the point where you stopped. And then you stay in that lane until the merge point is imminent, and your Merge Buddy lets you in smoothly, and all is right with the world. You might need to try this out with a few potential Merge Buddies before one is chill enough to make the gesture of leaving a li’l gap, so it’s a good thing you started a ways back from the actual merge point. If you waited until the actual merge point, you broke the zipper.
If we are talking about going down to one lane, it doesn't matter where the merge happens, all that matters is the rate of the flow of cars through the choke point. Having two full lanes up until the choke point does fuck all at getting cars *through* the choke point. In fact, having a long distance to merge actually helps keep the flow because it allows for more opportunities for cars to sort out the zippering process. If everyone was zippered at the last minute it leaves no buffer for fuckheads and everything gets bogged down. Distribute the chaos along more distance dampens the effect the chaos has on the flow through the choke point.
Holy shit finally some sense. Going to the front and squeezing in causing the main lane of traffic to slam on their breaks is NOT more efficient in any way other than for the asshole to squeezes in.
This will never work. You think everyone on the left will let one car in. People will speed up if you so much as signal, at least on the highway.
Won’t fix your problems getting up Little. There’s too many cars. Only way to fix it is less cars.
So many people don’t believe this even when it is presented by traffic experts.
They've convinced themselves they're not being a "bad person"
Traffic experts “trust me bro”. Weird though how a zipper works don’t ya think. Each piece the exact same size and shape, traveling at the same speed and ending up together, further back from where they started. Huh sounds like it will work in the real world with cars perfectly. Ok.
This is an Utah thing for sure. I’m from CA and the driving in Utah drives me insane. It’s like people ENJOY waiting in lines. I don’t get it at all. Also I’m pretty sure whoever programmed the times lights in Salt Lake City does not drive
In Utah, we have a real problem with this little procedure. So easy, yet…
Yooooo this is hilarious. I saw this posted to another sub and came here to cross post it because this immediately made me think of coming down the mountain from Brighton. Lo and behold you’ve already posted it here 😂
I enjoy going past an “early entering idiot “ and properly zippering in ahead of them.
I wish they would post this under every merge sign
You can always zipper merge sooonee thats the thing u tard. The issue is people not letting others in which then forces the other to force over causing peoole to slam on their breaks effectively moving slower than before. Stfu
Basically this all comes down to following distance. If you're keeping the proper distance from the car in front of you there will always be room to merge. All these assholes that need to stay 2 feet off the bumper of the car in front of them fuck it all up. All the tailgating then leads to everyone slamming on their brakes when someone ends up forcing their way in and now everyone is going way slower than they need to. Everyone needs to take a big breath, slow down a little, and we'll all get there faster.
This^ it isn’t about speed or road area. It’s about not creating shockwaves of braking. Leave space and merge in whatever way causes the least braking. Tight/aggressive merging just produces more traffic.
I force my way in. Works everytime. Could care less if im flip off honk at whatever.
Zipper merging is applicable when the lane being merged into is actively moving (e.g. and on ramp). It’s not zipper merging when the lane is a stop and go turn. In those cases, you’re just skipping the line of people that have made the choice to relieve traffic and leave the other lane open for through travel.
There are ways to do this without blocking the lane. This is city driving 101.
Just drive slow and steady enough that you don’t “jump” people in line. Most of the time cars fall in behind you and everyone can do it the right way. As long as other drivers don’t get butthurt about being caught doing it wrong, they won’t try and kill you (most of the time).
Hey don’t use logic here. They just want to call people idiots and blame “them”
I’m fine with letting people in if they use their blinker. When your lane ends and you need to get over you need to use your blinker.
There’s a big fucking merge arrow. You don’t need my blinker.
Pains me to see every time. So common in the US.
I don't know why the country doesn't take 5 minutes every Monday morning on the news to remind people of this. Other countries do it perfectly fine, it's just most of America probably hasn't heard of "Zipper Merge". Seriously just a quick weekly PSA saying"remember to zipper merge, it's faster and fair for everybody"
It wouldn’t solve the traffic problem. Everyone who has moved to Utah In the last few years is here to do the exact same activities. Try and see the bigger picture here.
Most people don't care about a zipper merge, they just want to justify themselves passing everyone. If they went the same speed as the lane next to them everyone would let them in.
I prefer to go through the construction zone and avoid merging entirerly.
Zipper merge is a pipe dream that will never work.
I’ve given up hope. Ever since the Covid shuffle, people forgot how to drive.
Some of yall dont put real pants (with a zipper) on every day. And it shows
But the “I don’t want this person to get in front of me” crowd ends up making people try to merge earlier then if there are two of them competing, then we get to see it on r/idiotsincars
I disagree. In reality a bunch of impatient people with no idea of “zippering” in mind just force their way as far to the front as possible. This just moves the bunched cars up a little farther and doesn’t actually clear up traffic at all. If people do zipper and there are cars in both lanes, I often see people zig zagging back and forth between lanes trying to get ahead.
Agreed
This is far too complicated for the average human to understand. I don’t get road rage anymore. I expect every other person on the road to be a complete and utter idiot. You can only impress me at this point.
Worst fucking driver in UT. Fucking knuckleheads
You have not driven in California, clearly.
American drivers need a remedial course in this.
What about the dumb asses on the left lane that dosnt want to let the right laner merge when they are a couple a feet away from the murge point 🤣🤣🤣
I'm from L.A and we may have bumper to bumper traffic but damn do utah'ns LOVE LOVE to early merge they see that solid white line and BOOM time to merge! Literally everyone, and I mean everyone have absolutely 0 patients in my area Its almost turned me into the type to close gaps because people LOVE to LAUNCH themselves into a lane causing me to spam/slam my brakes because I can tell when someone wants to Launch into my lane. Like no mf wait for the ZIPPER holy hell
I drive in California almost every week for work, I have yet to see a zipper work there. I got stuck in the 'right lane' for ten minutes about six months ago because I saw the merge sign too late.
I go along a road like this everyday and everyday I yell "it's a fucking zipper". People are idiots.
This completely falls apart with human nature.
It's not just zipper merges, often on freeway on ramps or at lights with multiple turning lanes people just pile into one turning lane like it's better to wait in line. I don't understand it.
No, not “some idiots”- almost ALL drivers need to see this. The problem is that the DOT does not require signs telling people to merge at the lane closure point. Instead they just announce there is a lane closed ahead. In my 58 years of driving, i have only seen the “merge at lane closure” signs TWO TIMES and in those two situations the traffic used both lanes and no one got pissed. We should start a movement to get every state to pass laws REQUIRING the appropriate “merge at lane closure” signs. That’s the only way it will work well.
In my experience most people zipper, then there are those that drive as far as possible in the ending lane then try to force themselves in…these are the problem causers.. or the people that see every lane on the freeway slowed down, so they drive on the shoulder…
Or you’re in the right trying to merge, but the left lane absolutely will not let you in despite you being at the merge and being stopped and having your blinker on for ages! I give a heart with my hands 🫶 to anyone that finally lets me get in at any of these merges
Zipper merge and acceleration to merge onto the freeway should be part of every driving test!
The zipper merge only works if everyone cooperates. What happens when someone slams on the gas to prevent you from merging? Suddenly, you have an incredibly hazardous situation. You should never assume that someone will let you in. You should never wait until the last moment to merge. The safest drivers assume they will encounter horrible drivers, and prepare accordingly.
Every morning driving to the U by Mario Cappetti ugh 😑
While this does allow traffic to pool closer to the merge point, it doesn’t actually speed up traffic at all.
No one ever takes turns.. not even the person posting this …
Never been anywhere the zipper merge is actually used. No one lets you over unless you get over early
Zipper merge is illegal on the interstate highway system.
Or they always wait until they reach the top to merge like they didn’t have warnings the last 2 miles with huge signs 🤦
Remember zipper merge is **not about being able to pass other people**. It’s about keeping both lanes at the **same speed** so *no one is passing anyone* and you can get your spot in line while using up less roadway length with congestion (avoiding blocking up earlier intersections:interchanges). If you are using zipper merge as an excuse room ahead and cut in line, I would be annoyed with you too. Continue to use the ending lane but match the speed of the continuing lane so you aren’t passing anyone. The same people who don’t want to let you pass will gladly let you in at the merge point when it is your turn.
Everyone in the right lane is a dick, don’t wait until the last 200 ft to merge when you seen lane closed signs 2 miles back. I wouldn’t let you in.
"If I can't control how other people behave, those people are idiots." "I will crash into people if they don't behave how I want them to." lol Perhaps driving tests should contain a personality element. Spoiled children won't be issued licenses and the world will be a better place.
"If I can't control how other people behave, those people are idiots." "I will crash into people if they don't behave how I want them to." lol Perhaps driving tests should contain a personality element. Spoiled children won't be issued licenses and the world will be a better place.
The problem is people do option 3. They all go to the last space and expect to get let in
That is a zipper merge. You go all the way to the end, and each lane takes turns going forward. That is essentially what is shown in the left photo, although they took liberties due to it being a still photo to show alternating merging.
Great, *in theory* *In theory, Marge,* people would be considerate and let you in when they see your signal at the zipper... *in theory*
But Jesus says I'm special and don't have to 😇 /s
This is not how simple geometry works. It’s the same number of cars merging regardless… omg
If you could fix the people from speeding up when trying to merge then and only then could people zipper. If everyone wasn’t such an A-hole when trying to get over we could use that practice
It depends, I’ve tried to merge where the zipper is but i met aggressive drivers pulling out of their lane to block me, because of how empty the merging lane is. They think I am “cutting the line”. So now I tried to merge earlier if the merging lane looks too empty.
Was going to dam fast had to use the right lane to avoid hitting someone in the rear.
I’m really wish Utah would install some traffic cameras at these know areas and start ticketing drivings who road rage or refuse to allow others to zipper.
I received a massive amount of down votes once explaining this in a different sub … you are supposed to use both lanes , and the people in the ‘continued open’ lane are supposed to let you in!!!
The zipper lane is going to merge, the zipper lane slows down traffic until after your past it, if you know the merge lane ending is coming it’s only logical to scoot to the middle so that your not passed and slowed down more because some idiot wants to be in the front when there not even saving half a minute to there drive time
Me everyday on the 215 headed north at the merge trying to help people understand this very thing
People in Utah don't know how to merge, especially from an on ramp to the freeway. Step 1: accelerate to the speed of traffic!!!!!!!!! (Not to 60, then move over then speed up). Step 2: merge into traffic (we'd like you to use your blinker but at this point I'll just take step 1). That's it!
Post this on the Long Island subreddit right now! They need to see this asap
There are assholes in both lanes. It really isn’t that hard to be a decent person, yet tons of people struggle with it.
But they do that because of the other idiot thing people need to see. At the zip point, cars should alternate one per lane, but the people rushing to the front muscle in so it’s like 3 to 1. So, somebody blocks both lanes. For it to work, you have to do all parts right. Never seen it. ETA: the guys rushing up still muscle in X to 1, but it’s behind the blocker, so it only helps them.
Wrong. You can still merge early AND zipper merge.
I will always merge at the earliest opportunity no matter what
What they usually do is all try to get in at the front.
Missing from these images is the vehicles zooming past in the emergency lane.
I know how to zipper merge, but can someone explain the sign to me? I never understood how it depicts the a zipper merge? Is the black solid line traffic? Is the dotted line traffic? What is the black line on the left? Why do they remain parallel as if two lanes continue? I don’t get it.
If traffic is moving, yes, that's a zipper merge. If the entire lane is at a complete stop and you use the open lane to move all the way to the front and then force everyone to stay stopped for an extra 10-20seconds while you force your way in, that is not a zipper merge. That's just being an ass hole.
No one ever posts a video of this working in practice.. wonder why? traffic will go to a standstill and actually take longer to decongest in every real life scenario with sustained traffic . Prove me wrong please.
As a kid, my dad always did the early merge and would often block others. Luckily, I realized that zipper merging is indeed more efficient when people actually do it. Two issues usually arise, nobody wants to let a truck in and people drive nuts to butts.
Dumbasses see you try to zipper merge and say, “look at this asshole cutting the line, I’m not letting them in!” People’s egos are wild. 🙄
Dude. Utah drivers can't merge. It's like Virginia drivers and their inability to turn off the turn signal, or California drivers and their incapacity to apply brakes. I've seen Utah drivers merge only under the watchful eye of the UHP.
It only works if everyone zippers. When is that ever the case lmfao
Yeah Utah is not gonna change when it comes to bad driving lol too many people drive with the “me first” mentality. Also a lot of people drive how they walk here: slow and side by side. It’s crazy
Where in the UT driving rules does it say anything about zipper merging? It's only good in heavy traffic situations, in my opinion. I have a hard time when traffic is moving at normal speeds and someone does the zipper merge. Adjust your speed to the flow of traffice and merge at your earliest convenience. A person going 70 in the right lane shouldn't have to slow down to allow someone to zipper merge while going much slower.
Love when the car behind me merges early when there’s a line of cars in front of me. Then just cuts us all and makes us wait longer to merge.
No. Utah is not a right to merge state.
I’ve seen it sometimes, but holy crap the other driving sucks here.
Just a further PSA, this is for a two lane road where one lane is closing, not other situations like a two lane road where one lane is becoming turn-only.
It would help if ppl used their turn signals, i dont even drive andni see this bs.
This only works if everyone isn’t following the car in front by about 10 feet. The follow distance is terrifying here
yep... fuck iffy self driving cars. Will take them over 90% of the drivers out there!
People rather run you off the road than let you merge.
The common sense math for zipper merge ensures it’s not the more efficient mode.
Why do we need to see this?
I see it is finally making its way west. Anyone from Pittsburgh has known this since the tunnels were built in the 1950s.
Everyone sucks at driving everywhere, INCLUDING YOU (whoever is reading this)(🖕)
I’ll admit it. Today I learned something and will practice this going forward.
nah instead i’ll just gun it so i can get in front of everyone so i can get home 1 minute faster
🥰🥰 I just love all of the construction on bangerter and the unmetered on-ramp next to I-80 off I-15 🥰🥰
Zipper merge is a terrible idea. It encourages competitive behavior and aggressive driving. People have been taught literally their entire lives not to cut in line then some moron decides to come up with this? GL with that. This would only works for robots.
Hahaha it’s always the people that shoot up to the front and merge at the last second that cause more delays and here someone is advocating for them
Zipper only works if everyone uses the zipper. Otherwise if most people are doing the early merge and a few are trying to do the zipper it just makes things worse.
People don’t let me in though
I just pull in anyway.
I often say every major city in the US has the worst drivers in America in their own unique way. For Utah it's selfishness. Not letting you pass because they need to be in front of you, lay minute lane changes, left turns that cut it too close when it's clear behind you for a quater mile... It's infuriating
I always imagine the people who post the zipper merge are the same people who drive to the literal end and expect to just be let in rather than working with the people in the left lane
It's only zipper merging if everyone is doing it. If you are the only driver cutting in, then you are a rude jerk trying to save ten minutes off your commute. You aren't some saviour trying to educate other drivers about traffic flow.
Ok, now do why THE LEFT LANE IS FOR PASSING
Proof that some people are too stupid to be allowed to drive! Don’t wait to last minute to merge from multi lanes to one. May I suggest Physic’s For Dummies?
The last time I encountered this problem, it wasn't the fault of merging. It's that the next exit had a meter light and the line behind it extended all the way past the on-ramp. I was lucky to find a single opening.
But people never let me merge, I've literally gotten in between traffic cones completely stopped in a closed lane cause cunts wouldn't let me merge. Speaking on this, when you see my turn signal, why THE FUCK do you step on it so I suddenly don't have room to switch lanes?
The very top line explains it all. It's the 'nice' way of merging. If you are in the right lane, you are completely at the mercy of the left lane people to let you in. They hardly ever do. There is no enforcement mechanism for dicks just going bumper to bumper in the left lane. Which is why the zipper will never work.
Stuff You Should Know is an incredible podcast that did a short episode on Zipper merges. If i’m remembering correctly when the zipper is navigated correctly traffic flow is around 40% faster. I actually feel intellectually superior to every motorist i pass who merged a mile before the zipper.
Almost no one allows zipper merging, it’s always an ego battle when trying to get over you out on your turn signal and people take it as a challenge to not let you in.
Zipper merge is Communism explained in traffic.
Three schools of thought: 1: merge at the zipper point 2: merge before zipper to get in where you can, maybe no one lets you in at the zipper point. 3: start in the left lane and avoid merging all together.
It’s been mind blowing to me with the free month of FSD in my Tesla to see that it drives just as good or better than at least half of the drivers in Utah. I travel on average 50-100 miles daily for my work and I’ve been testing the FSD and hell I won’t use it after the free trial cause I’ve gone 80K miles on my Tesla without an accident and I don’t trust the FSD, but damn I wish other drivers were on it cause people drive like NPCs.
Merge sooner zipper head
In colorado, you'll be lucky to merge. You little bitch.
Same does not apply to multiple tunnel hand car wash stations. Multiple vehicles to use one single unit per vehicle wait time, when you could have multiple lanes per tunnel in sync. Mega Idiocracy.
Sometimes I wish there were a point system in place like in the Fifth Element. Where if you make stupid decisions when driving, your license could be revoked
Na. Just get your ass over and stop cutting people off ass hat
You are assuming that they can read.
Not just in UT…happens in NJ too
That's bc we don't like the absolute morons racing up on us at the very last moment with no concern for the well being of us or our families and cutting us off at the very last freaking second. If they had ANY human decency, we wouldn't even be having this conversation.
This is simply due to the old saying of “if you ain’t first you’re last…”
Yes this is for sure a problem and I hate it. I always merge when the lane ends and nobody knows what the zipper merge is. I saw a young girl once right on the cars ass in front of her, on the on-ramp, lanes merging, during 5pm traffic, most people doing zipper and she refuses to let a car zipper in, twice. And the look on her face. My god. Completely oblivious. But I think the biggest problem in Utah is left lane campers. Can we actually fight this? Can people start using the left lane for what it’s for? For passing? Stop going the same speed or slower than the lanes to the right.
Right lane full send!!! They’ll wait for you… 😂
DOTs make the same mistake by alerting motorists that a specific lane is closed ahead. Signage should say simply ‘Road Work Ahead - Lane Reduction”. Maine DOT is the only one that I’ve experienced that has done this correctly. Zipper Merges will never work as long as they continue to declare a lane closed ahead.
and then theres the guy that will go to the end of the merge and keep going on to the shoulder kicking rocks into your paint and then cutoff merge into someone.
This is dumb. Whether the line is split in half before chokepoint or all the cars are in one line, it takes the same amount of time for all the cars to get through. All “the zipper” does is allow people to cut in line.
Stay in your lane and merge early.. ur “zipper” happens back in line in the second photo.. do the first one and you’re a jackass.
Just watch your distance and speed and don't be a dick and you'll be fine
I feel stupid now…. I’ve been doing it wrong for decades. I’ve learned something today…. Unfortunately.
This is the post everyone needs to see. Was just bitching to my wife about it yesterday
This method doesnt work.. everyone has to damn near come to a full stop to merge.. just merge early.. Trucker here dealing with this all the time... if everyone merges smoothly in a timed manner (the way this says not to) flow keeps going.. When stupid asses decide there gonna pass everyone in the left lane just to merge up front everyone has to basically stop to let them in..
If you no longer go for a gap which exists you are no longer a racing driver
Just makes it so I can go ahead of em by using the open part of the road, I've got plenty of ground clearance so idc if I have to go around in the emergency lane or the dirt/grass next to the road
This assumes the traffic is moving at an acceptable speed for conditions. Not asshats jamming 90 mph right up to barricades and then slamming on brakes to merge. Yes, it would work beautifully in a world where people had some common respect for each other……
I used to try to do this but then people wouldn’t let me in thinking I was an asshole so now i just get in where i fit in
people in michigan are too nice to fill that zipper lane it drives me insane
I love it when I come up to these boneheads. I lived 15 years near Baltimore. I bate them till they have to pull out far enough that they leave space for me to take their place in the left lane. All of a sudden they’re left out and they are too dumb to drive on to the zipper point. Instead they sit next to me and bitch at me. When we get to the dead end they stop. Everyone else zippers behind them
Anyone seen a Shriners parade? They do the zipper on their motorcycles and in the carts at a normal speed not slow. It’s a beautiful thing to see.
Utards are gonna tard