zipper merge

[eveled]

The rotary thread made me think of the zipper merge. It’s the latest idea that would work great if everyone knew how and why to do it and followed the rules. Same as rotaries.


Basically it says when a lane is merging into another lane you should stay on your lane until the end then come together with the other lane like a zipper. As opposed to people thinking they are doing the right thing and getting over sooner and the others blasting past everyone else in the lane that is closing.

It’s worth googling to see an animation about it. It actually would work. If everyone knew and followed the rules.

 

[bobski]

the old way works if all would obey the common courtesy of the American rule of every other car merge. its when people fight and jocky like 3rd world drivers not letting anyone in like in Africa or micro asia, beeping and blocking.

 

[Slyk Willy]

around here, people can't handle a four way stop, let alone a proper merge. Everything's going to CIRCLE... hate those.

 

[Mobuck]

Absolute disaster IMHO. This can only work where all the vehicles are similar size. How many Prius sized "zips" does a semi occupy?

 

[Dan in MI]

I don't remember where I was but they promoted the zipper merge. (which is every other car merge) There were a ton of signs before the merge point. It worked perfectly as you would expect if people would actually do it.

 

[coach]

I find they work fine if people understand them. Much like roundabouts and four way stops. There’s a learning curve when something is new. Not that four way stops are new. :roll:

 

[Dave P.]

I find they work fine if people understand them. Much like roundabouts and four way stops. There’s a learning curve when something is new. Not that four way stops are new. :roll:

People understand them just fine, problem is a lot of people
are self-important a$$holes and think street driving is a competitive
track event.
Dave

 

[Fox Mike]

This zipper move has been happening at the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel for a couple years now as they rebuild the entrance bridges on the North end. Tractor trailers and autos have no problem merging.

 

[Kevin]

On the highway coming back from my gun range, there is an intersection where you have to do this sort of merging. The problem is, it’s on a big curve as well, four lanes from two roads, merge into two lanes and one road. On a curve. Speed limit 70, which means people are driving 75...or more.

Then, as stated above, self important people who think driving is a track event, and it becomes a pretty dangerous section of highway.

In theory, it’s a good idea. Just like the idea of “drive right” like in Germany. Their idea is to always drive in the right lane as much as possible.

 

[Snake45]

If everyone knew and followed the rules.

Life would be so much simpler, wouldn't it?

 

[blume357]

Yes, and if when a traffic light turns green if all the cars waiting on it moved forward at the moment it turns... then a lot more folks could make it through the light....

 

[Dave P.]

Yes, and if when a traffic light turns green if all the cars waiting on it moved forward at the moment it turns... then a lot more folks could make it through the light....

Of course the one with the good reaction time will be killed by the
dumb SOB who just ran the red light.........
Dave

 

[Rick Courtright]

In theory, it’s a good idea. Just like the idea of “drive right” like in Germany. Their idea is to always drive in the right lane as much as possible.

Hi,

Many years ago I had a customer who was from Germany, but lived here most of his adult life. One or two times a year he'd go back to visit family and such. He mentioned it was always a "refresher course" to get out on the Autobahn each time. I think it was he who told me we could solve most of our driving problems by sending every American driver to Germany to spend 30 minutes on the Autobahn.

"Every one who survives 30 minutes, we send back to the States." He figured our freeways would look deserted for years...

BTW, how long does it take to get a German driver license these days?

Rick C

 

[Rook]

The one that gets me is the idiots that'll stop before entering a roundabout with no other traffic in sight. Roundabouts work great until one of these fools screw up the flow of traffic.

 

[blume357]

"Drive right" I was working on the chimney for a retired S.C. Highway patrolman this past year and he told me they were trained to always drive in the right lane except when passing (I was taught the same in Drives Ed. 46 years ago) and this was mandated when driving at night on a 4 lane.... one night he was tooling along on I-85 in the right lane and met a car in the left lane going the wrong way with its light off. Seems that happens often.... someone drunk gets on a 4 lane divided highway the wrong way and they will naturally also stay in the right lane which is actually the left lane when you are gong the wrong way.

Speaking of Germans driving.... have some friends from Germany and their son was had just gotten his S.C. drivers License ... they sent him to a driving school here sponsored by BMW where he got to not only drive fast but learned to handle skids in wet weather and other defensive tactics.

 

[eveled]

The one that gets me is the idiots that'll stop before entering a roundabout with no other traffic in sight. Roundabouts work great until one of these fools screw up the flow of traffic.

The rotaries fatal flaw is when there is a steady stream of cars entering from one direction. Then they all blast (or crawl) by the next entry. With no break in the flow drivers entering from that next entry have no legal way to enter the rotary

They have force their way in or wait for someone on the rotary to yield their right of way. Neither is legal

 

[Mobuck]

I have to chuckle at some of these responses. Quite obviously not attuned to the type(s) of traffic I see daily. Yesterday, I noted several vehicles that would defeat ALL of the commentary about the efficiency of the roundi-bouts. Two of the more notable examples were a semi w/40' lowdeck hauling a 70K # excavator and a gooseneck 8 bale in-line hay trailer. The semi was driven by the excavator operator who isn't all that great of a truck driver but can manage to keep it between the ditches most of the time. The hay trailer was approximately the same length as a semi-trailer and the driver wasn't keeping the trailer tires on her side of the yellow line on even a moderate inside corner.
My Cousin drives a semi daily and his opinion of roundi-rounds is far worse than mine.

 

[eveled]

Lately our rotaries ate being re designed the middle is paved with cobble stone or brick. Visually it’s an island, but realistically you could drive straight through if you had to.

 

[Bull Barrel]

When you see the sign reading a lane is closed ahead is when you should be doing your merging. NOT at the last minute. This way speed is kept and there is no bottleneck. Hold speed and merge. That way you are doing the speed limit.

 

[Fox Mike]

When you see the sign reading a lane is closed ahead is when you should be doing your merging. NOT at the last minute. This way speed is kept and there is no bottleneck. Hold speed and merge. That way you are doing the speed limit.

Agreed however there is always the guy that absolutely has to be 'first'. A few years ago while returning from the "gathering" at Contenders we encountered one 20 mile stretch of I-85 that was being rebuilt and was one lane. Signs posted way ahead of the 'event'. It was raining and misty and we, my grandsons and I, were following a semi at the posted speed limit of 35 mph. I was hanging back because the truck/trailer was sending up a lot of mist. Behind me was a pickup towing a mobile home. He tried numerous times to pass me on the right only to run out of open space on the shoulder. Finally, about 5 miles from the NC/VA line he drove by on the right nearly hitting us with the mobile home only to realize that the reason I was traveling at 35 was the semi was doing the posted limit and was throwing up so much spray it couldn't be seen from behind me. Now, he had nearly caused an accident, had gained one position on the highway, and was still traveling at 35 mph. When we finally passed him further up the road my youngest grandson waved at him and explained to him, via hand signals, that he was number 1.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

The zipper merge has been strongly encouraged around here and works fine as long as everybody plays by the rules. The usual idiots can briefly mess it up a little, but that gets sorted out pretty quickly.

 

[eveled]

It really is the best and safest way. If for no other reason it stops the guy from going 70 miles an hour next to two stopped lanes of traffic.

 

[Rick Courtright]

Speaking of Germans driving.... have some friends from Germany and their son was had just gotten his S.C. drivers License ... they sent him to a driving school here sponsored by BMW where he got to not only drive fast but learned to handle skids in wet weather and other defensive tactics.

Hi,

Pretty cool!

Different type of vehicle and driving conditions, and I don't know if they still have it, but for some time Land Rover had a school for "How to drive this thing everywhere." I remember seeing videos and it was amazing what the instructors were doing with even the biggest of those SUVs. It seems one of our older members had a son who had taught there.

There was a movie called The Gods Must Be Crazy. If memory serves, that's the movie with a really fun scene of winching one of the earlier Land Rovers up a tree...

Rick C

 

[Snake45]

Speaking of Germans....

When my kid was in high school we hosted a foreign exchange student from Germany for a week. Both his parents were well-respected doctors and they lived in a good-sized house--some here would call it a small mansion--but they only had one car (a Mercedes). He was amazed that we had three cars in our lowish-middle-class family. He said very few people in Germany could afford to have more than one car per family, due to taxes and insurance and whatnot. :shock:

 

[wheelgun1958]

zipper merge

 

[Rick Courtright]

Lately our rotaries ate being re designed the middle is paved with cobble stone or brick. Visually it’s an island, but realistically you could drive straight through if you had to.

Hi,

Wait 'til they fill the center island with all kinds of other "visually pleasing" garbage that blocks your view of who's coming at you.

Rick C

 

[Rick Courtright]

zipper merge

Hi,

I suffered a "zipper merge" in the bathroom at about age 4. I might have been rolling on the floor, but there was no laughter. Especially when I had to enlist Mom's help to cure the problem...

Rick C

 

[Dave P.]

zipper merge

Hi,

I suffered a "zipper merge" in the bathroom at about age 4. I might have been rolling on the floor, but there was no laughter. Especially when I had to enlist Mom's help to cure the problem...

Rick C

The potential of this post is hard to resist....
Dave

 

[coach]

Zipper merge! Happens at least once to every boy. Once is usually enough to learn the lesson.

 

[eveled]

I remember begging my mom for button fly 501 jeans.