The driving technique that could cut traffic jams in half

Ongoing construction to replace the bridge on Route 224 in Canfield is causing some major traffic jams. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) says that's because drivers aren't merging correctly.

When one lane merges into another due to construction and partial closures, many drivers try to merge early, to avoid looking like they're trying to skip the line and cut other people off at the merge point. But according to ODOT, that actually causes worse traffic jams. 

Instead, they're telling drivers to stay in their lane until it ends, then take turns going through the merge point. 

“It is proven time and time again that this is a more efficient way of moving traffic,” said Matt Bruning, ODOT press secretary. 

“The challenge that we have is there are a lot of folks out there who drive who don't want to do that zipper merge,” he added. “A lot of people think, well, it's someone that's cheating. I've been sitting in traffic for an hour. You should be sitting in traffic for an hour instead of using the available lane ahead.”

According to the department, the zipper merge can reduce backups by up to 50% and shorten the line of cars by more than a third of a mile. 

But there are exceptions to the rule. Bruning says the zipper method works best during high congestion periods, but isn’t always necessary. 

“When there's free flowing traffic, you can really merge at any point. It doesn't really matter,” he said. 

So the next time someone tries to get in front of you at a merge point, try not to road rage — they're just doing their part to clear up congestion.