Husband and wife argue over their merging tactics

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been having an argument about this for the past five years, and I am really hoping you can settle it once and for all. Whenever we hit heavy traffic on the interstate because two lanes are merging into one, he immediately puts on his signal and tries to merge, meekly puttering along until someone allows him in. Whenever I am driving and we are in the same situation, I drive ahead in the lane that’s ending and then merge just as the lane ends. Often this gets us some honks, and sometimes people flip us the bird. Always my husband is mortified, slouching down in his seat.

I think my way just makes the most sense. If everyone merged in that fashion, there would be no slow-down traffic in the first place.

I have tried encouraging my husband to do the same when I am in the passenger seat. He gets irritated and says, “I’m not the type of person that does that” or “People will think I’m a jerk.” Annie, who is right here?

Merging Maven

Dear Merging Maven: You’re both right. When two lanes are reducing to one and traffic is heavy, late merging — also known as “side zooming” and “zipper merging” — makes traffic flow more efficiently, according to studies by the Virginia Transportation Research Center, the department of civil engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and others. That’s because the method allows drivers to maximize road space, using both lanes for as long as possible, and causes drivers to merge in a predictable, orderly fashion. The Alberta Motor Association’s video titled “Zipper Merge Demonstration” (available on YouTube) illustrates the concept.

Not depicted in the “Zipper Merge Demonstration” animation are the obscene hand gestures other drivers are likely to give when you try this out in real life. The departments of transportation in Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri have educational campaigns designed to get more drivers on board with this much-maligned merging method. But until public opinion catches up with the research, your husband is right. People will think you’re a jerk.