Road Rules and jerks.....

[tackattack]

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While DMV laws are on a per state basis, all of them I've been in seem to have similar sets.
1. It is both driver's responsibility to navigate a safe roadway.
2. Oncoming drivers must signal, increase speed, and merge safely into the flow of traffic.
3. Drivers on the roadway have a responsibility to adjust their speed in order to allow gaps for merging traffic.
4. If drivers properly space their following distance, these adjustments will be minor and highly effectual to the smooth flow of traffic.
5. If however, you are sitting in stopped traffic due to construction and the dickhead using every last inch of his merge lane has passed 4 spots he could have gotten into the flow of traffic just to get further ahead in the cluster of cars, There is no obligation to give him a space.

You really should use the mention or quote feature so the people you're replying to know you're talking to them. I was always told by my father to, "Look people in the eyes when you speak to them." That sort of idea. But I'm up browsing the forums this morning, so, no harm, no foul I suppose.

Once again, you seem to be letting your pride rule here. You are assuming that people are trying to "get further ahead in the cluster of cars" as if it is a race or something. It isn't. The fact is, zipper merging makes for a better flow of traffic. That you see it as some sort of thing where you have "no obligation to give [them] a space" is more than a little weird. Are you one of those people who treats driving like a Formula One race? Jesus.

You're right, you don't have an obligation to do anything. If you want to be a dick, that's on you. I, personally, have no issue letting someone in front of me. I try to be a defensive driver and will be assertive when I need to, but for the most part, I just go with whatever seems safest. And knowing that zipper merging makes for better traffic flow, I have no issue letting someone over. It's just not that big a deal. I'm not sitting there in my car going, "I HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO LET YOU OVER!" That's ridiculous and childish.

Obviously, there are exceptions when going out of my way to let someone over wouldn't be safe. In that case, I would simply keep going while keeping an eye out to make sure they don't just start driving toward my car in a hope to be let in.

It's a courtesy and I usually have no problems allowing people in. If I'm stuck in the feeder lane I usually attempt to time my speed to allow for a gap, nominally though I just get over to the left lane.
In stopped traffic however, I believe I have a stern bias. I'm looking for assholes to be mad at as the cause for me having to wait one second longer in traffic. There are a lot of nice people on the road. If in a 200 meter feeder lane, merging onto stopped traffic, you can't find a semi or moving truck or nice person to get into traffic in front of I'd rather see you sit at the end of your merge lane for the next nice person to let you in. I usually apply my 50/50 rule, If I was allowed in by a car I allow one car in front of me. If I had to steal a place in front of a slower responding vehicle, I don't allow "no butts, no cuts, no coconuts".

What often happens though is that they try and force their way into traffic by nudging their corner into your lane and taking up a 12 in gap between you and the car in front of you with the corner of their bumper. Why can't they just wait their turn to fall into line? Wait for someone to flash their lights to go ahead or wave them over? IMO, these impatient and entitled twats are the usual cause of 75% of the road rage I see. Some even get impatient and start driving on the emergency lane (hard shoulder). Those are the same people sitting in traffic that get on the hard shoulder to drive the extra mile up the road to their exit because they don't want to wait. There is this little dark place in my heart that celebrates every time I see either one of those get pulled over.

You certainly have a lot of anger and pride involved in your time on the roads. This honestly concerns me. You seem like the type of guy who gets into road rage incidents. That's alarming.

Zipper merging makes for a better traffic flow. That's just what it is. If you want to preserve your pride by reminding people you have "no obligation" to let them over, good on you. If I were on the road, I'd casually avoid driving next to you or anywhere near you. Drivers like you are a problem.

edit: The driver laws you're citing have to do with merging on the freeway, which is not at all what I'm talking about. Did you even click on the links I posted? Apparently not.

The Colorado DOT also made a Facebook post trying to spread awareness about the zipper merge. I suppose you know more than the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The Alberta Motor Association also made a cool little cartoon about the zipper merge that easily explains why it's better for traffic, reducing congestion by as much as 40%.

I suppose it's a matter of putting your personal pride aside for the better of everyone. It's up to you, I guess.

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2 States are promoting the zipper merge and 3 endorse it. Most states in the United States require merging traffic to yield to flowing traffic. I believe it's going to be like the metric system, great idea but a flop in the US.

Regardless of what you feel about me personally, or what intonations you read into the post, I'm not an angry driver. I also only drive about 45 miles per month on average (excluding family trips) have been t-boned 3 times and have had 1 speeding ticket in the 15 years since my oldest's birth. I also love my cruise control and lane diverge assist. I stated it was a courtesy and that I was usually courteous, but I've been called far worse than a dick by far better, so feel how you like.

In practical application, when merging and allowing merged cars on interstates or around road construction I usually apply the zipper method. It may cut congestion by 40% (mostly because it uses more of the available road), but I don't think it reduces crashes. I haven't seen crashes on merge ramps from people looking and merging into flowing traffic. I have seen 1 crash on merge ramps from blocking cars from merging in heavy traffic (he was rear ended because the other merger wasn't looking ahead). I've seen a metric shit ton of merging lane accidents from entitled merges not looking (cell phones will upset me a bit)or caring that there is a car in the active lane, or misjudging rate of travel and distance, or trying to forcibly nudge their way into traffic.

I cited those laws (actually just citations from the current drivers manual) specifically for the person claiming that state didn't teach how to merge properly.

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@PRJA93 "You're SUPPOSED to merge in at the last minute, and people who are in the unblocked lane are SUPPOSED to let people over. "
You're not supposed to let people over. The onus is on the car merging to fit into traffic,not traffic to allow for cars to merge. It is the polite thing to do, but not anywhere close to a legal or societal "supposed to".

Yeah, usually one has those upsidedown triangles signalling loss of priority (basicly a stop sign, without the need to actually full stop). Good drivers do alternate traffic, it's about matching speeds, one gets in, the other continues, another gets in, the next goes one and so on so on. It's the civil thing to do, but not everyone has the same sense.

specific instances with lights at feeds in bigger cities (like Atlanta north of me) do have feeder lights and they're not at the end of a merge ramp, they're at the beginning. other than that they do use alternating approaches and I find this is the best method personally. One car in the merge lane at a time, get up to speed, fit in, done. If traffic is stopped, one car in the merge lane at a time, get in when you have a hole, done. Lights always trump "unwritten courtesies". My examples out here in country twn are not for merger lanes with lights. I'd prefer if all merger lanes had lights but that's not feasible.