Late merge

As a zippered or zipper system is called the road a kind of ranking in slow-moving traffic. When two lanes merge to one, then the vehicles must similarly classified at the throat a zipper in turns to keep the traffic on both tracks liquid.

Legal basis

The behavior at bottlenecks is generally regulated in the road traffic regulations of each country.

" Is on roads with multiple lanes for one direction, the continuous driving on a lane is not possible or ends one lane, is to enable the hindered on Continue vehicles, the transition to the adjacent lane in such a way that these vehicles immediately prior to the narrowing of each alternately can arrange for a vehicle traveling on the through lane vehicle ( zipper style ). "

"If on roads with more than one lane for the direction in question, the continuous driving on a lane is not possible or not allowed, or one lane ends, the hindered on Continue vehicles is the change on the first located the remaining lanes to allow in such a way that these vehicles took turns and can follow a moving vehicle on the through lane ( zipper system ). "

Court

Whether already an obstacle in a traffic lane, the zipper method enabled is controversial in German jurisprudence. In the judgment 12 U 4191/89 it is affirmed by the Court of Berlin, C 28675/11 denied in the judgment of the District Court of Munich 334 against.

Acceptance

As before, try many drivers to arrange themselves before the actual constriction, resulting congestion ( excess ), because in this case takes place a slowing down of traffic before the constriction and also the situation may arise that a road user who already einscherendes vehicle on his trail has let go, at the constriction (or at another unreasonable road users already even before) again must leave your vehicle parked on his trail. He has, figuratively and thus to that two (or more ) can pass through the zipper teeth. Compared with a real zipper becomes clear why this approach does not seem sensible and therefore bears a significant potential for aggression. Increasingly, we see therefore traffic signs with a request to only find their place at the narrow point and not before overtaking. In North Rhine -Westphalia, a solid line is set up to prevent a premature threading before the bottleneck.