Don’t you think this is an oversimplification? Just yesterday, I was one of the cars in the right lane, and a car in the left lane attempted to merge into the right lane and rear-ended me.
It sounds like he didn't do a zipper merge. He forced himself in with pretty bad spatial awareness.
No, I don't think its an oversimplification. The merge requires people nearly keep their foot off the gas and just let the left lane drivers slide in. I was assuming the left lane drivers played Frogger a few times and make sure their car fits in the rectangular space.
I understand your point about the graphic, but real-world driving can be messy. While zipper merges are supposed to be efficient, they rely on everyone following the rules and being courteous. Unfortunately, there are always inattentive drivers or those unfamiliar with zipper merges. Maybe a better way to put it is, zipper merges can improve traffic flow when done correctly, but they can't guarantee safety. Accidents, like the one we had, can still happen due to human error. We humans are messy.
Safety is never guaranteed with feral humans. If we only discussed what would happen with perfect behavior teachers would never step into a classroom, firefighters would never attempt to put out fires, nobody would write books, and speakers would only read off their notes. What a terrible world that would be.
Zipper merging is entirely possible in the UK. We are - largely - polite drivers who will give way to let cars in or people cross the road, even where they are not meant to.
This could really work, if the signs were altered to encourage zipper merging!
Zipper merging is entirely possible in the UK. We are - largely - polite drivers who will give way to let cars in or people cross the road, even where they are not meant to.
This could really work, if the signs were altered to encourage zipper merging!
Why does the merge have to happen at that last moment? I'm sure there is a mathematical reason, but in reality most cars move to the right a little 'early' which leads to a few other cars, that I can only presume have an elevated sense of their own importance, zooming up the left like they've discovered a private highway, to then push their way in at the last moment...oh wait, they execute a zipper merge.
Yeah I think it has to be at the end so the drivers in the right lane can predictably wait or go. The problem in the USA is people are unpredictable with their turn from left to right lane slowing everyone down in terrible ways
I showed this to my husband and he now feels vindicated in the way he drives to the front of the lane that’s closed off. He’s been applying the zipper merge without even knowing it. Although he is also now claiming he’s acting in the collective interest … 😉
In the late '50s when a freeway was new in my small midwestern city there were lots of public service announcements about how to drive on them - entry, exit, slow lane, fast lane,.... Dad already knew most of it b/c we went to both Detroit and Chicago a few times a year to visit relatives. The zipper merge is an example of needing PSAs and other forms of public education. My southern state allows drivers license renewals for 16 years now before one must go in - I guess to decide if they need a pic of a corpse instead of the former driver. So there's no opportunity to require a new test for new driving conditions.
I don't think a few PSAs would solve this annoyance, but they'd be a start. And in construction zones it wouldn't be too tricky to add another sign encouraging zipper merges.
There's something annoying about American individualistic driving. I've driven about 6000 miles in England, from Dover to Lands End to Aberdeen to Ullapool on the Scottish Atlantic north coast and NEVER seen an accident, rarely a stopped car. I have been honked at w/ lights flashing for driving too slow on a Motorway.
I drove in Greece for a week, about 1500 miles, with the same - very assertive and fast driving, but no messes and no individualistic showboating - just fast and assertive.
In the US I deal with semi trucks driving in side-by-side at 55MPH, well below a freeway speed limit, folks out to play games, speeders in the breakdown lanes and a thousand other annoying 'LOOK AT ME, I'M BEST AND IT'S MY RIGHT TO DO THESE STUPID THINGS AT 80 MILES AN HOUR' drivers.
This is a great metaphor for how North America undervalues the joy of creating synergy.
A culture that idolizes celebrities, encourages “getting yours”, and derides weakness will always have a hard time focusing on the greater good. It will always set aside harmony in the interest of self-aggrandizement.
I wonder if a simple counterfactual might be North American attitudes towards traffic circles compared to European. Sacrifices and concessions are a necessary part of getting through these successfully. Every North American I know hates them.
Reminds me of being in Germany . You can drive at crazy speeds on highways because nobody engages in unpredictable cutoffs. Drivers think of the perspective of other drivers.
Was driving in Norway last month and experienced what I learned later is called “good luck roads”. Bidirectional single lane with no legal speed limits. Here one does a quick game of chicken to ascertain the desired level of kindness. http://norwayliving.com/cars_roads_and_driving_in_norway.
Don’t you think this is an oversimplification? Just yesterday, I was one of the cars in the right lane, and a car in the left lane attempted to merge into the right lane and rear-ended me.
That driver was terrible. And I am so sorry.
It sounds like he didn't do a zipper merge. He forced himself in with pretty bad spatial awareness.
No, I don't think its an oversimplification. The merge requires people nearly keep their foot off the gas and just let the left lane drivers slide in. I was assuming the left lane drivers played Frogger a few times and make sure their car fits in the rectangular space.
I understand your point about the graphic, but real-world driving can be messy. While zipper merges are supposed to be efficient, they rely on everyone following the rules and being courteous. Unfortunately, there are always inattentive drivers or those unfamiliar with zipper merges. Maybe a better way to put it is, zipper merges can improve traffic flow when done correctly, but they can't guarantee safety. Accidents, like the one we had, can still happen due to human error. We humans are messy.
Safety is never guaranteed with feral humans. If we only discussed what would happen with perfect behavior teachers would never step into a classroom, firefighters would never attempt to put out fires, nobody would write books, and speakers would only read off their notes. What a terrible world that would be.
Zipper merging is entirely possible in the UK. We are - largely - polite drivers who will give way to let cars in or people cross the road, even where they are not meant to.
This could really work, if the signs were altered to encourage zipper merging!
Zipper merging is entirely possible in the UK. We are - largely - polite drivers who will give way to let cars in or people cross the road, even where they are not meant to.
This could really work, if the signs were altered to encourage zipper merging!
Precisely my point!
Why does the merge have to happen at that last moment? I'm sure there is a mathematical reason, but in reality most cars move to the right a little 'early' which leads to a few other cars, that I can only presume have an elevated sense of their own importance, zooming up the left like they've discovered a private highway, to then push their way in at the last moment...oh wait, they execute a zipper merge.
Yeah I think it has to be at the end so the drivers in the right lane can predictably wait or go. The problem in the USA is people are unpredictable with their turn from left to right lane slowing everyone down in terrible ways
I showed this to my husband and he now feels vindicated in the way he drives to the front of the lane that’s closed off. He’s been applying the zipper merge without even knowing it. Although he is also now claiming he’s acting in the collective interest … 😉
ha! wish I was there for that conversation over old fashioneds. tell him I'm toasting him tonight.
In the late '50s when a freeway was new in my small midwestern city there were lots of public service announcements about how to drive on them - entry, exit, slow lane, fast lane,.... Dad already knew most of it b/c we went to both Detroit and Chicago a few times a year to visit relatives. The zipper merge is an example of needing PSAs and other forms of public education. My southern state allows drivers license renewals for 16 years now before one must go in - I guess to decide if they need a pic of a corpse instead of the former driver. So there's no opportunity to require a new test for new driving conditions.
I don't think a few PSAs would solve this annoyance, but they'd be a start. And in construction zones it wouldn't be too tricky to add another sign encouraging zipper merges.
There's something annoying about American individualistic driving. I've driven about 6000 miles in England, from Dover to Lands End to Aberdeen to Ullapool on the Scottish Atlantic north coast and NEVER seen an accident, rarely a stopped car. I have been honked at w/ lights flashing for driving too slow on a Motorway.
I drove in Greece for a week, about 1500 miles, with the same - very assertive and fast driving, but no messes and no individualistic showboating - just fast and assertive.
In the US I deal with semi trucks driving in side-by-side at 55MPH, well below a freeway speed limit, folks out to play games, speeders in the breakdown lanes and a thousand other annoying 'LOOK AT ME, I'M BEST AND IT'S MY RIGHT TO DO THESE STUPID THINGS AT 80 MILES AN HOUR' drivers.
I completely agree. Nothing close to the USA
This is a great metaphor for how North America undervalues the joy of creating synergy.
A culture that idolizes celebrities, encourages “getting yours”, and derides weakness will always have a hard time focusing on the greater good. It will always set aside harmony in the interest of self-aggrandizement.
One wonders what the counterfactual would look like....
I wonder if a simple counterfactual might be North American attitudes towards traffic circles compared to European. Sacrifices and concessions are a necessary part of getting through these successfully. Every North American I know hates them.
Reminds me of being in Germany . You can drive at crazy speeds on highways because nobody engages in unpredictable cutoffs. Drivers think of the perspective of other drivers.
We love roundabouts in the UK. They are so sensible. But not, however, when used like the one at the Arc de Triomphe.
Was driving in Norway last month and experienced what I learned later is called “good luck roads”. Bidirectional single lane with no legal speed limits. Here one does a quick game of chicken to ascertain the desired level of kindness. http://norwayliving.com/cars_roads_and_driving_in_norway.