The Zipper Technique – Driving Effectively and Efficiently

Driving effectively and efficiently helps everyone stay happy on the road. This article is about the Zipper Technique. Apparently, this technique for driving like a boss through lane closures is used all over the world. Canadians, embarrassingly, have been pegged as both too polite and too aggressive to employ this technique properly. Why can’t we use the Zipper Technique? We want to drive effectively and efficiently. Especially if we’re in our dogsleds.

Lane Closures and Feelings

I will admit that until my brilliant friend Reevetown taught me about this amazing technique, I was one of the ignorant drivers who set themselves up for inefficiency and negative feelings. Negative feelings are manageable but inefficiency? Hard no.  I am so grateful to her for teaching me this because I believe during this time of year, our local community could really benefit from some top quality traffic advice.

Here in Canada, we have 35 seconds of summer and the rest of the year is cold af. Our 35 summer seconds are mostly comprised of Slurpees, mosquitoes and construction. Imagine you see an emerging lane closure as you’re driving (with Slurpee in hand). Likely construction. Maybe a marathon lane. Could be random pylons that someone put there and left for no reason at all. It happens. It doesn’t matter; what does matter is how you approach the impending lane closure.

The Early Merge

The mistake that often occurs during this scenario is preemptively merging. I attribute the Early Merge to significant, justifiable fear due to the unyielding streak of stink-eyes that one will receive at the merge zone. As a lane closure begins to reveal itself, even if it is perceived solely by the pace of the traffic shifting, we often think ‘I have to get out of this lane right now. RFN!’ There is an immediate and semi-desperate lane change in order to avoid the impending, not-even-actually-seen yet, pylons. So polite. We must anticipate an upcoming lane closure and immediately begin lane bail out maneuvers. Thank you. You’re welcome. I’m sorry. Dogsled.

A Canadian Nightmare

As we sit in a monster lane of bail out traffic, we become less polite and more irritated. We notice the people who have driven all the way down the lane of impending pylons. They pass us. Anger. WTF. Each passing car creates more resentment towards the Late Mergers. By the time we reach the cars that have driven all the way to the merge zone, we’re completely furious. We hate these people. We go out of our way to NOT let them in, thinking about how selfish these morons are for skipping ahead. No skipping the line! You cheated! It’s not polite, you asshole!

It’s time to take a closer look at our illogical, anger-inducing technique and admit that it is neither effective, nor healthy. It can easily create unpleasant emotion, misdirected rage at other drivers and an overall disgust with pylons. The dueling emotions of politeness and anger are a simultaneous Canadian nightmare. FML.

What is the Zipper Technique?

The most effective way to drive is to maximize the time that the lane is available and efficiently maintain the momentum of traffic. The Early Merge increases the size of the lane reduction. If the lane is closing in a kilometer and a driver preemptively bails into the next lane before the merge zone, they have increased the entire construction closure (or random pylon closure). That creates a longer line of traffic and worse, it often causes a driver to begin experiencing feelings. Not just regular feelings but angry misdirected feelings, because the people who made it all the way to the merge zone ‘skipped the line’.

The Late Merge

We have adopted the elementary school water fountain rule of ‘no cutting’, which is very serious, however it has been implemented in an inappropriate setting. In reality, the drivers at the merge zone are utilizing the maximum length of the lane and not causing further congestion. Somehow, they become the subject of our judgment (stink-eyes). Those line skippers. Those late mergers. Where’s my Tim Hortons.

Zipper Research

The Zipper Technique is used in Europe. It has been required by law in Belgium since 2014; drivers can receive a ticket for refusing entry in a merge zone. This is the same in other European countries. When optimized, Zipping should allow both lanes to move at the same pace. The Zipper Technique is also used in the United States. A study conducted in Virginia by the Transportation Research Council found that under ideal conditions, it was the most effective and efficient driving approach.  There has been pro-zipper, merging signage rolled out and even public relations campaigns.

Get a Grip and Zip!

The Zipper Technique takes intelligence, patience, driver commitment and trust. The technique requires every car to use the entire lane before they merge and not cram into a single file thirteen kilometer line before a glimmer of orange construction pylon is even noticed. Ideally, one car at a time files into the lane at the merge zone, and traffic continues to flow. In order for it work, each car has to be WILLING to let one car in at the merge zone. LIKE A ZIPPER. Zippers are friendly, willing and fair so we should all be inspired by them. Zipper photo is included in this article for clarity.

The drivers who use the Zipper Technique aren’t lane-hoarding piranhas. They are the most efficient drivers however without cooperation from everyone, the technique will fail. Utilizing the entire drivable area has many benefits because it makes traffic flow safely, efficiently and without any negative feelings. Traffic will inevitably move more smoothly when the maximum amount of lane is used. The commitment that is difficult is the ‘zipper’ part because everyone needs to be willing to drive according to the zipper pattern.

One missed zip and the zipper breaks. One missed car and the traffic stops.

Zipping for Equality

Evading the soon-to-be closed lane with an Early Merge is the least efficient way to drive. If a kilometer of lane is wasted then the traffic moves slower and the brave late mergers are public enemy number one. The technique will serve everyone, if we can employ it together, and is a demonstration of equality. Everyone has an equal and fair chance of arriving at their destination in as little time as possible.

Personal Zipper Confessions

On my recent journeys, I have encountered many construction sites because in Canada, we’re in our 35 seconds of summer. Now that I’m pro-zip, I notice that I have an entire lane of emptiness in front of me with barriers starting so far ahead that I can’t see them. As I drive happily, safely and essentially alone all the way to the merge zone, I put on my signal and await a plethora of drivers to angrily tailgate the person in front of them in an effort to avoid letting me in. Eventually, an overly-polite and understanding driver will come to a complete stop and I will feel safe to merge. It is moment to moment terror. I would rather drive on black ice during the first snow storm of the year because every Canadian knows that’s when drivers are the friendliest.

Summer Zipping

Winnipeggers are notoriously aggressive drivers, but only in the summer. During the winter, we all transform into helpful snow angels and will stop at any given moment, any time of day, in any temperature, in order to help someone who is stuck in the snow. I have fish-tailed my car into snowbanks roughly a thousand times and people are there to dig me out before I have even tried prying my door open with my car’s resident shovel. Winnipeg is filled with a city-wide winter rescue team that transforms into a self-destructing vortex of road rage every summer. Obviously it’s the combination of construction and mosquitoes that puts us over the edge (understandable).

Come on Winnipeg

A question for my fellow Peggers – can we try implementing the Zipper Technique to our current road navigation approach and see how it shakes out?

Share this idea!

Perhaps we can get our entire city on board! Then traffic will not be an infuriating, single file line of angry Slurpee-drinkers moving at a glacial pace, as they pass by an entirely empty section of road that has been deemed impolite to drive on. *facepalm*

Come on, eh? We can do this.