Re:The Zipper Rule on German Roads
by gojomo on Tuesday February 05, 2019 @08:52AM
(#19085229)
I see the same throughout the US: everyone knows to alternate when a merge is required - and will even call this ‘zippering’ - but does not consistently (or often) do the throughput-maximizing practice of forcing this, by waiting until a merge is absolutely required.
Rather, people often try to avoid the ‘phase transition’ to a forced-merge flow-state for as long as possible, by ad-hoc merging earlier.
Partially that’s because the initial transition-to-zippering can be chaotic. Once established, zippering is easy to follow and well-respected. But, being the “first” to assert an alternating-right-to-merge depends on more judgement & recognition from a specific other driver.
Rather, people often try to avoid the ‘phase transition’ to a forced-merge flow-state for as long as possible, by ad-hoc merging earlier.
Partially that’s because the initial transition-to-zippering can be chaotic. Once established, zippering is easy to follow and well-respected. But, being the “first” to assert an alternating-right-to-merge depends on more judgement & recognition from a specific other driver.