How to zipper merge

Whether you live in Washington State or Kansas, when coming to a lane closure getting over early into that long line may not always be the best way to get through. Here's some advice on how to perform a zipper merge.

More from the Tacoma News Tribune:

[mr.peanutbutter]

Shout out to all the good drivers. I appreciate you. I try to be a good driver myself.

[putrescentvermin]

This video would make more sense if the cars had more distance between each other. But the real world isn't like that unfortunately.

[bravobravoh]

Try to do that in Texas with the amount of "me first" drivers there.

[lubbadubdub]

I’m sorry but with late merging, slow moving big rigs and inconsistencies with speed the zipper merge will only work quicker when one can get in line. When you speed up to merge over at last minute puts everyone else brake checking which leads to stops in the construction zone. Not to mention the rubber neckers who have to see what’s going on.

[ZTenski]

Yeah but I HAVE to be faster than everyone else, so I don't let them in to my lane. Nothing like a bit of psychology to mess up a cool plan lulz.

[RectitudeU]

Why is everything pushing zipper merge at me?

[DickGazInYa]

Does anyone else see the massive red flag in this video? Look at 0:40. Notice how all the cars are going the same speed and following at the same distance? Yeah... that works great on a video demonstration or on paper. Drive in the real world and you'll quickly realize just how stupid this is.

[dylanburnell]

Ever notice how these videos are ALWAYS animated. almost as if they havent found a single live stream of it working as intended in a practical setting. BuT iF PeOpLe jUsT FoLlOwEd iNsTrUcTiOnS, and if people justfollowed the law there wojld be no crime. if people just saved their money instead of wasting it on crap they dont need there would be no poverty, if people just did what was good for them.

This is just an assholes excuse for cutting someone off atthe last minute and causing traffic to come to a complete stop and ruining a perfectly good line of flowing traffic with entitlement and me first attitude.

[gogali]

No, youre backing into a corner, and forcing people to cut each other off.

[maxmerton]

“it’s a lot safer” and “got the studies to prove it”.

OK. Please publish those studies.

[BenMoyes]

This zipper thing will never work! Lmao

[NellyNutmeg]

I try to zipper merge, but a lot of times when traffic is backed up on the interstate, 18 wheelers will deliberately block a lane, forcing all traffic into one lane

[Spaceboy]

Yea no i dont trust these idiots to let me zipper merge, ill stick merging early

[alanwebster]

I disagree with this..as soon as the merge sign is visible, drivers should make an effort to get over..if they would, there would be little ot no backup...

[bfun]

I'm the one that uses the empty lane and merges late. Works like a charm.

[donaldkershaw]

Works in theory maybe but I don’t see it working in real life. It would take a massive effort to educate the public about it. Also, unless ALL merging is done this new way, who gets to decide when the zipper style is called for?
It would need to be required for absolutely all circumstances. Chaos. If people could be counted on to be cooperative then everyone would merge early anyway, but that doesn’t happen

[w.o.jackson]

>Just do a zipper merge and have ZERO fucking space between cars at the merge point.
Genius, this will totally work in the real world. Zipper merge is a fucking joke.

[Jeremy-ffjm]

Almost got in an accident because of people not understanding how to use this. Some lady almost pit maneuvered me but thankfully I’m a better driver and avoided it but she should’ve yielded to me but wouldn’t even tho I was ahead of her

[johnwick-iiil]

Left lane ends...merge right. Right lane ends...merge left. The ending lane is the one that merges. NOT the thru lane, they have the right of way unless otherwise posted. The ending lane drivers bear the full legal responsibility and liability to merge safely and properly. The thru lane drivers owe you nothing more than common courtesy. Which you wont get by trying to force a merge of ANY kind.
Of course the zipper works best but be carefull of drivers who are not obligated to participate. Know where your liabilities begin and end.

[OS-xyfe]

People can't drive let alone trying to understand zipper merge. Maximize a lane people!! Not hard!