Are Popular Zipper Merges on Texas Roads the Wave of the Future?

You know that a**hole who zooms right past you while you're trying to merge into Dallas, TX stand-still traffic, cause you're polite and moved over well before the lane actually closed? Well, turns out the a**hole is doing it more efficiently and more safely.

Get our free mobile app

Whether or not it was their plan, studies show that the zipper merge is a much better way to keep traffic moving. And they are growing in popularity -- you probably cussed out a zipper merger this morning.

Not sure what the zipper merge is? This is where both lanes of a road are fully used until you reach the merge area, only then do you enter the opposite lane, out of the closing lane. Most drivers think merging earlier is better, and many think it's more courteous. While the early merge might make you more road friends, it's been proven that it is just not the better nor safer way to do drive.

From AAA, "The zipper merge can be interpreted as cutting in line. But research has shown that the zipper merge is more efficient because it uses more available road space for as long as possible—helping to keep traffic moving. States across the country have been implementing zipper merge recommendations for more than a decade."

Listen, I've been there too. You'll probably think everyone hates you, most everyone does hate you for it, but it's going to take many sacrificial lambs if were going to change the driving culture here in Texas. So, get out there and zipper merge loudly and proudly. But, yeah, probably leave your windows up while you're implementing it.

Oh, let's get out ahead of the hate, share this revelation with your friends, together we can make a difference. And if you're still unsure how to properly execute the zipper merge, here's an instructional video: