Driving in Ohio can be stressful and frustrating, especially during rush hours or in heavy traffic. Arriving safely at your destination can become quite a challenge if there are motorists nearby who are speeding or being reckless. Merging is a traffic issue that can be problematic. In fact, unsafe merging often results in collisions.
What is a zipper merge?
Traffic analysts recommend a specific type of merging, commonly referred to as a “zipper merge,” to reduce the risk of collision. Here’s how it works: Imagine driving in a lane where you notice a sign saying the lane is about to end, meaning you will have to merge left or right to enter the main flow of traffic. To conduct a zipper merge, you stay in the lane that is about to end, all the way to the point where it is ending, then merge into the other lane.
Is zipper merge safer?
Most people think it’s polite to merge when there is still a lot of space left in the lane that is ending. And those same people think it’s rude to wait until the last car length in the ending lane to merge. However, safety experts say that merging early (rather than using the zipper merge) actually increases the risk of car crashes. This is because it causes traffic to slow down, which then makes merging more difficult.
Analysts say that merging is safest when both lanes of traffic are traveling at similar speeds. That is why a zipper merge is the safest way to blend two lanes of traffic.
Give the zipper merge a try ~ it may help keep you safe
Learning how to merge correctly, teaching teens and other family members how to do so and letting other drivers merge safely into your lane are all things we can do to help keep our roads safe. Unfortunately, many people drive too fast or recklessly and don’t know how to merge into traffic properly, much less use the zipper merge technique.
Distracted driving, drunk driving and speeding cause thousands of deaths and serious injuries in Ohio every year. If you were injured in a car, truck or SUV accident, you may have the right to compensation.