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By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury When you are driving, usually towards a construction zone or some other choke point in the road, when is the appropriate time to merge for the lane of traffic which is ending? There are two schools of thought when it comes to this subject. One school of […]
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By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury
When you are driving, usually towards a construction zone or some other choke point in the road, when is the appropriate time to merge for the lane of traffic which is ending? There are two schools of thought when it comes to this subject. One school of thought is to merge early and avoid driving all the way to the choke point. The other school of thought is to use every bit of the ending lane without coming to a stop and then merging. I have discussed this subject with numerous people and I have come to one concrete conclusion. When to merge draws a visceral response from most people. I am going to explain the logic from each point of view and then I will tell you why both types of mergers are correct.
Merge Early
There is a common sense appeal to the idea of getting in line when you see that sign that says “Merge Left – 1500 Feet.” It makes sense that if an orderly line is formed early that the flow of traffic will not be impeded. The logic follows that those that go all the way down the lane which is ending and attempt to merge late causing a bottleneck at the choke point. It makes sense, right. We have been taught all of our life to get in line early and that cutting is rude. Some states, such as California, endorse early merging because late mergers slam on their brakes as their lane ends which result in rear end collisions.
Merge Late
There is another school of thought which says you should merge late. When two lanes merge into one it is called a zipper merge. The late merging school of thought states that utilizing the ending lane all the way to the choke point will decrease the traffic jam that exists before the choke point. This traffic jam is caused by early mergers cramming themselves into one lane when two are available for travel. The late mergers would also argue that the early mergers refusal to allow cars that they deem to be cutting into line actually causes the traffic accidents. Minnesota has performed extensive research on zipper merges and has concluded that the late mergers benefit themselves, as well as traffic in general. Furthermore, the early mergers seem to be more prone to fits of road rage because of the cultural disdain for those that cut in line.
Who is Correct?
Both schools of thought have their advantages. The studies that have been done seem to indicate that if traffic is moving at a normal or close to normal highway speed then it is best to move over early. If traffic is moving at a slowed pace then it is best to use both lanes all the way up to the choke point. This zipper technique requires cooperation from all drivers. The drivers who have already merged need “play nice” and let the late mergers blend into traffic. The Minnesota study indicated that if cars utilized the zipper merge technique traffic backups could be reduced by as much as 40%. [1]
Contact Jones Law Group
Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident? Contact an experienced St. Petersburg personal injury lawyer at Jones Law Group today. When you contact our office we will immediately set an appointment where you will meet your attorney and be provided with his/her personal contact information. If you do not have transportation or you cannot drive, your attorney will travel to meet you and discuss your case with you.
Whether you were a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or the occupant of car, motorcycle or boat and have been injured in an accident, you should immediately call an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg at Jones Law Group at (727) 571-1333 during regular business hours or (727) 753-8657 on weekends or after regular business hours. We will evaluate your case for free and you will never pay us a dime unless we recover compensation for your injuries.
Jones Law Group
5622 Central Avenue
St. Pete, FL 33707
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There’s more to a personal injury case than compensation for tangible losses, such as the cost of medical treatment and the money a victim loses because they can’t work. There are also losses that don’t lend themselves to easy calculation. For example, a victim can’t produce receipts to show how much pain and suffering they’ve […]
Motorcycle accidents can be especially devastating for those involved. The injuries can be extremely serious ranging from traumatic brain injuries (“TBI”) to broken bones to neck and back injuries and even death. It is important to be represented by a motorcycle attorney that is experienced, professional and tough because the insurance companies will try and […]
Any kind of truck accident can be horrible, of course, but an underride accident is particularly terrifying. As the name implies, it happens when a car slides underneath a truck, either from behind or from the side. As you can well expect, this often leads to severe injuries as well as deaths, because the top […]
No matter what the cause of the trucking accident that led to your injuries, you’re going to have to produce strong evidence in order to be able to obtain the most compensation possible. An accident reconstruction could go a long way toward proving your case. Attorneys will oftentimes call upon reconstruction experts. The reason why […]
By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury Florida is one of the most popular vacation spots on the planet. There are roughly 1 million seasonal residents who spend time in Florida, otherwise known as snowbirds. There are roughly 100 million people that visit Florida annually. It is an unavoidable fact that many non-residents will […]
A personal injury attorney provides legal representation for those physically or emotionally harmed at the fault of another person. From car accidents to bed bug cases to slip and falls, having a personal injury attorney on your side could be very beneficial to helping you receiving the compensation you deserve. On top of medical bills […]
Speak with us before time runs out! In Florida, you have a limited window to file a personal injury case, so speak to an Attorney today.
Call our personal injury law office directly at (727) 512-9847
Jones Law Group is a dedicated personal injury lawyer in St. Petersburg, FL, serving the Tampa Bay area since 2006. Our experienced attorneys specialize in car accidents, slip and fall cases, employment law disputes, construction law issues, and overtime wage claims, fighting for maximum compensation on a contingency fee basis. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case.
Call our personal injury law office at (727) 512-9847
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