Indiana Zipper Merge Law

You’ve seen them before and may have even uttered some of your most memorable swear words because of them. They coast in an ending lane, zipping by backed up traffic at 40 miles an hour faster than what you’re doing only to jump in front of some sucker right as the lane ends. They’re zipper-mergers and what they’re doing can quickly turn a “fun traffic jam-jam” (a term we’ve coined for dancing in your car during a traffic jam) into an expletive-filled tirade.
“That,” you think to yourself, “is unsafe, and an act of the most selfish and villainous person on the road.” Surely, it must be illegal. Right?
Today, we’re going to look at the legality behind this controversial road maneuver and if it is ever an appropriate way to leave a lane of traffic that is coming to an end. Before we do that, though, we’re aware that our stance on this issue, grounded in the law and recommendations from the Indiana Department of Transportation as it may be, is likely to make some people upset.

What is a Zipper Merge?

Before we get into any of that, however, it’s important to define what we mean when we say, “zipper merge” or “zipper merging.”
A zipper merge is when a lane of traffic is ending and drivers in that lane are forced to merge into an adjacent one. Executing a zipper merge means going as far as you can in that ending lane until you’re literally at the barrier and then merging with traffic. Often, this will mean pulling ahead of stopped or slowed traffic in a dramatic and seemingly-careless way and may result in your car cutting off a vehicle that had merged earlier while they waited patiently in the solitary remaining lane.
As people who have been “victimized” by this move, we’d like to express how hard we tried to find some law outlawing the carelessness and self-centeredness from which such a maneuver must arise.
We discovered quite the opposite.

Is Zipper Merging Illegal?

Zipper merging is not only completely legal, but it has been recommended by the Indiana Department of Transportation during construction-heavy times of year. While our gut reaction to this, and yours perhaps, was disgust, revulsion and a loud “there is no order left in this world!”, the DOT has done a solid job explaining why this is recommended when a lane goes down to two lanes.
It all comes down to traffic flow.
When a construction crew, utility group or urban engineer either temporarily or permanently end a lane of traffic, they are doing so under the expectation that that lane of traffic will be used until it ends. Merging early not only presents the problem of cars trying to slowly enter a lane of quick-moving traffic but also makes the space that is still available in the closing lane unused.
It’s like sitting down at a restaurant table that the servers haven’t had a chance to clean yet. When you merge early (at the first sight of a lane closing sign), you’re creating congestion in one lane in a spot where traffic flow was engineered for two full lanes.
Instead, what’s recommended is the zipper merge. 

How to Zipper Merge

To properly zipper merge, you drive until your lane is about to end and then merge at that time. It’s worth noting that this can be tricky because you may not be immediately let in. This is especially true if the traffic is moving slowly and if the driver in front of whom you’re hoping to merge is harboring resentment over something he or she incorrectly perceived as an illegal or unjust action.
Watch this short video demonstration of the how and why to zipper merge, courtesy of Cars.com:
Although you may have to wait for a few of these bitter people, once you get in you can take heart knowing that you were the one who followed the laws and recommendations of the governing bodies who plan traffic flow.
If you’re on the other side of this equation and were the one who merged early or was always in the continuing lane, let the zipper merger in. However, just like zippers themselves, the progression should alternate. So, if there were two zipper mergers, you would let one go and then go yourself, and then the second zipper merger would get in behind you, and then the car behind you would go.
It’s all very counterintuitive, but when you follow the order as it’s prescribed by the experts, we know you’ll find a cooler head when somebody does this seemingly-immoral act.

Pay Attention Always

As with any congested traffic maneuvering, the zipper merge requires complete alertness for all drivers involved. Modern vehicles like the new Kia Soul and new Kia Sorento have safety features which can automatically predict a collision and brake, but those are no substitute for your eyes and your motor reflexes.
For more information on useful driving tips or to schedule a test drive with a safe and stylish new Kia model, contact us today!