Author Topic: Zip Merging (Read 4128 times)

Timmo · « **on:** July 23, 2017, 15:52:34 »

Anyone heard of this Zip Merging? When a lane is closed you do not indicate and move into next lane. You zip merge where the lane is actually closed! the times I have cursed people for accelerating past me in a closed lane and then cutting in at the last moment and now it may be an acceptable way to do it. Thankyou America for giving us Friendly Fire and now Zip Merging.

greywolf · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2017, 16:02:50 »

It's road hoggery and there's no way I'd call it acceptable. Yes, a significant portion of the public feel a need to be ahead of every vehicle they can get past but, if there is a crash and a cop sees it happen, the hog is getting the citation. Interestingly, even if a driver signals as soon as he/she realises the lane is closed ahead, the drivers who would need to yield to the lane changer suddenly become the hogs.

Barbel Mick · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2017, 19:30:49 »

Never heard it called that but I have got names for the idiots that do it! It's one of the causes of everything backing up or coming to a standstill at those places. I also include the idiots that Greywolf mentions who do not give way to people signalling to change lanes, so long as that person hasn't undertaken a load of vehicles to get there!!!

Rich:-) · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2017, 20:09:42 »

I'm sorry to go against the flow here but it is the correct way to handle a merge, anything else causes the inside lane to stall, which upsets it's occupants. The problem is the people that panic and automatically hit the indicator to move over, thus slowing the left lane.
All vehicles in the outside lane should stay there until they get to the merge point.

As motorists approach this bottle neck they should naturally split into two to occupy both lanes. Think of it as approaching a bar and realising there are 2 queues, you naturally join the shortest, that way nobody gets upset.. The problem only occurs when people sit in left lane whilst the right is empty and then get all upset when someone else fills that space.

chris1200 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2017, 20:17:15 »

Must admit I am with Rich on this one. Never understood why one lane is rammed miles back with the other empty. Not sure about this but I think in Germany they use the "Zip" approach and drivers are fined if they don't allow the other car to merge in turn.

Hugh Mungus · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2017, 20:31:59 »

Drivers should use all the lanes until the last minute unless traffic is light enough to merge earlier. Then they should merge IN TURN and not drive bumper to bumper not letting anyone else in. There is also no need to get bad tempered about it.
There is no point having one lane empty for about two miles just because it is closed ahead, the queue still has the same amount of vehicles but spread into 3 lanes instead of 2.
Car drivers should also leave plenty of room for bikers to filter all the way to the front...

Rusty Nuts · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2017, 20:38:26 »

I will leave a closing lane when I safely can to avoid getting stuck at the cones, and allow the (mostly Audi at the moment) drivers who need to get to "the front", whatever road they are on, to pass. Those already in the remaining lane will naturally feel disinclined to allow Audiman in at the cones, but will generally part the bumper-to-bumper train of cars to let someone in who's genuinely stuck out in a closing lane. The empty lane is empty for a reason - because it's closing and we've been told to get out of it - but the remaining lane isn't our own private road. We should leave our emotions out of driving like this, but we're human.

(The real problem is speed limits - if one lane of a two lane road is closed, they should double the speed limit in that section, not reduce it. That way, the same volume of traffic can pass without hold up.

)

Moo · « **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2017, 20:40:18 »

I agree that Zip merging should be the way its done. If everyone leaves a gap and doesn't go bumper to bumper, traffic moves much quicker.

The one that really annoys me is people on the slip road coming onto a bigger dual carriageway etc.. as soon as possible, they make a right hand turn onto the dual carriage way, they don't use the whole slip road and merge. They indicate right, stop and turn in, like theyre pulling into a junction...

Rich:-) · « **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2017, 21:14:36 »

Quote from: Rusty Nuts on July 23, 2017, 20:38:26

I will leave a closing lane when I safely can to avoid getting stuck at the cones

Sadly..., although you have good intentions, you are part of the problem...
You are prematurely extending the inside lane and thus slowing down all the cars behind where you moved in.
No offence meant here... but that is the mentality that causes the issues.
Stay in lane to the very front and only then move across. If everyone did this both lanes would flow at an equal rate.

Rusty Nuts · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2017, 21:21:01 »

"If"
But real life isn't like that.

Rich:-) · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2017, 21:31:47 »

I go all the way to the front and then look to move in.
If the car on my side is upset and doesn't want to let me merge I just shrug it off and wait to see if the next one has a rational driver.
I don't push, I just drive to the very end and then indicate. to be honest I rarely meet a driver that opposes me as I do not push.

I live in the hope that eventually everyone will learn how to handle these situations and not treat everyone in the right hand lane as a w****r Audi, BMW (or whatever) driver and instead realise that it is them that do not understand proper etiquette.

Freddyfruitbat · « **Reply #11 on:** July 23, 2017, 23:56:32 »

'Zipping' is totally the correct way to do it; always has been - it's nothing new. The reason it doesn't happen much in the UK is cos we're too British, and love to queue and be polite; ergo anybody who has the temerity to drive to the front of a blocked lane before attempting to merge, rather than queue for two miles like everyone else, is regarded as a road hog/w****r/whatever (just look at some of the attitudes at the top of this thread!)

Failure to 'zip' is exactly what causes massive tailbacks, not the other way round...

Rusty Nuts · « **Reply #12 on:** July 24, 2017, 05:39:58 »

No. The loss of half the road is what causes the tailbacks. Those who bowl along to get to the front can only manage that because most of the rest have complied with traffic management instructions and moved already.

Hugh Mungus · « **Reply #13 on:** July 24, 2017, 06:27:50 »

It doesn't make a lot of difference though. It is still the same amount of traffic merging into a reduced amount of lanes.
The key to the problem is to merge in turn.
If you want to change lanes early that is fine, it is up to you, but don't get upset if someone else goes down the other lane to the front.

Rusty Nuts · « **Reply #14 on:** July 24, 2017, 08:44:35 »

I agree with your first paragraph, it's the reduced acreage of tarmac wot does it. As for switching lanes early, I do it because we've been warned the lane is closing and told to switch. That doesn't turn the emptying outer strip of asphalt into a Chaika lane for those who choose to ignore signs.

Ianmc · « **Reply #15 on:** July 24, 2017, 09:48:39 »

In my opinion an easier way to do his would be to sign all traffic over to the RH side of the carriageway initially,this,using most drivers mentality that the RH lanes are "faster"would encourage ALL drivers to get into the 1 or 2 lanes available,then after the roadworks have been entered move the traffic over to the near side again(assuming it is the RH side of the road that is being closed.)This was used very successfully when the M5 was being widened many years ago,but seems to have gone out of favour recently.Traffic moves noticeably much smoothly and rage rage is virtually non-existent. Ian Mc.

Brockett · « **Reply #16 on:** July 24, 2017, 09:55:33 »

I'm with Hugh Mungus on this one.
Although if all those drivers who sit alone in their fug-box were on a motorcycle the roads would not be as jammed in the first place.

Rich:-) · « **Reply #17 on:** July 24, 2017, 10:51:51 »

So to summarise...

To work properly all motorists have to merge in turn. It's just that the opinion on how to achieve this differs.
The signs are the problem I think, they should state clearly to use both lanes and not to merge until the end. I have encountered signs on the roads telling motorists to use both lanes when traffic volume is high, so they are almost getting there.

While ever you have random merging throughout a 3rd of a mile section of road you will always get the outside lane moving faster, as the random merging is slowing the inside lane down.
A different system of control needs to be implemented.. Zip merging works!

But what about all those car drivers that leave their fog lights on when it's not foggy, and at night, and in the rain....

Rusty Nuts · « **Reply #18 on:** July 24, 2017, 12:16:54 »

Next time your mum fastens your anorak, watch the zip. The teeth merge alternately all the way along, not right at the end.

Moo · « **Reply #19 on:** July 24, 2017, 12:41:57 »

Gets a bit different if the zip is a gore lockout zip