Pasco Police Recommend The Zipper Merge – What You Need To Know!

I was this old today when I discovered that when merging, the Zipper Merge is legal.

I know you're scratching your head and so was I but now I know what the Zipper Merger is.

I've always hated when you come across road construction or an accident and the guy next to me zips past me without merging into traffic. Do you realize that jerk is right?

I know, I'm shocked.

The Pasco Police posted on their Facebook page the process and I realized that I've been wrong all these years.

Here is what they posted:

TRAFFIC TUESDAY: THE ZIPPER MERGE!

All of the polite people, the wait-in-line people, and the your-failure-to-plan-is-not-my-problem people always hate this concept. The safest way to merge two lanes into one is to run both lanes down to the obstruction, then take turns one-two-one-two merging into the clear lane.

This means that the jerk speeding past you to the end of his lane, then wanting to merge over in front of you, is actually doing what traffic engineers recommend. If both lanes flow all the way up to the obstruction, then both lanes are traveling at the same speed, which is good, and the people “zippering” together know whose turn it is to go next.

It’s a paradigm shift for some of us. We get that. But it does work. As we move into road construction season, you will have a chance to try it out. If you can’t make yourself run down the empty lane to the end, at least be the person who lets that driver zipper in.

My mind is blown this morning but going forward, I will be a better steward of the road knowing the guy next to me isn't really trying to be a jerk but is following the Zipper Method.

As they say, the more you know!

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