Maria from Arvada writes, “What’s driving you crazy? Going up the hill on Highway 93 south of Boulder to Highway 128, the right lane ends which means that the people in that lane need to MERGE into the left lane. I have avoided 4 accidents because people do Not understand how to MERGE into a lane that will end! I've had people trying to push me into the opposite lane just so they can get in front of me! Can you PLEASE explain to people the correct way to merge into a lane?!!”
You are correct Maria. Drivers don’t know, or more likely, don’t care about the proper way to merge. It really comes down to better traffic flow. When drivers don’t let other drivers merge, traffic slows down, so courteous merging helps keep traffic moving. Remember, there is not a requirement under the law to allow for a smooth merge. It is only a nice courtesy to move over and adjust your speed to allow for a smooth merge.
The way any merge should work depends on what lane is lost and the amount of traffic volume. If there is light volume, drivers should get into the open lane — the left lane in this case along Highway 93 — earlier than it ends and stay at or near the speed limit. In heavier traffic, especially stop and go traffic, drivers should use both lanes up to the merge point and then they should take turns getting into the open lane. That technique is called the zipper merge. It is something that I have promoted on air and online for a dozen years. When done correctly, the zipper merge can help traffic flow 30% faster.
MORE: Read more traffic issues driving people crazy
While you might get frustrated with drivers who wait until the last minute to merge, studies show they are doing it correctly, according to AAA.
“Just as the teeth of a zipper smoothly come together, the zipper merge methodically brings together vehicles from two lanes. If you follow the zipper merge method, you should stay in your lane up to the final merge point, instead of merging as soon as you see the warning sign. Then, take turns with drivers in the other lane to safely and smoothly ease into the remaining lane,” AAA said.
The problem with the zipper merge method is that for it to be effective, all drivers need to cooperate. That lack of cooperation is the main reason we all have to sit in traffic longer than any of us would like.
In this specific situation, since the road sign indicates that the right lane ends and that drivers need to merge to the left, the left lane drivers have the right-of-way. When you are going south on Highway 93 and are getting close to that merge, even though it is fine for you to get into that left lane early, understand that when you do there will still be drivers who want to go faster than you and they will not want you in front of them so they will either ride your bumper or race around you to the right just before the merge point just to show you they are angry. You will have to ignore those aggressive drivers and slow down a bit, especially if you start to feel uncomfortable.
I asked the Colorado State Patrol for their recommendations since they have jurisdiction along Highway 93. Sergeant Patrick Rice told me that in this particular scenario, there are a few laws that come into play and they do not always line up with traffic etiquette.
“Remember as police we enforce what's required by legislation, not what's always right by the common public expectations. There is no requirement on the part of a driver in the through lane to allow a merge to occur, meaning a driver in the left lane is not required to modify their speed or position in traffic for a merging vehicle," Sergeant Rice said. "It is good etiquette to do so when possible but not required. The merging vehicle bares all responsibility for a safe merge with one exception, the through lane driver cannot disallow the merge by speeding up or slowing down either. You typically see this example in the right lane when a vehicle is being overtaken and speeds up refusing to be overtaken. There is a statute prohibiting this, and I would add if the behavior creates enough danger as a result, there could be additional statutes that also apply.”
Sergeant Rice added that this topic is what he uses often to highlight his three Es of traffic safety: Engineering, Enforcement, and Education.
“It's an engineering issue in that the lane reduction creates conflict. If the lane could just continue forever, there would be no conflict, and that conflict is what results in the aggressive driving behavior. Education through new stories, basic driver's ed, punitive driving schools, outreach programs, and even street signs warning of the coming roadway change is often needed to combat those natural inclinations towards aggressive driving when you feel someone is sort of doing you wrong on the road by trying to merge in front of you or even cut you off. When engineering has created the scenario where aggressive driving tends to arise and education has failed to modify a driver's behavior, we fall back on enforcement,” Sergeant Rice said.
Bottom line — it is the responsibility of all drivers to drive in a way that promotes better traffic flow. As I've said for years, zipper merging and a friendly wave can go a long way in making that happen.
Denver7 Traffic Expert Jayson Luber says he has been covering Denver-metro traffic since Ben-Hur was driving a chariot. (We believe the actual number is over 25 years.) He's obsessed with letting viewers know what's happening on their drive and the best way to avoid the problems that spring up. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram or listen to his award winning Driving You Crazy podcast on any podcast app including iTunes, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Podbean, or YouTube.