You're not forced to brake if you can see that 2 lanes go down to 1 and you therefore anticipate that the cars in the other lane are going to have to merge into your lane and you leave a gap to allow them to do so.
If there is an appropriate gap it is fine. However in my experience many people in the zipper lane merge without regard to what the traffic in the lane they're merging into is doing. Thus forcing people to slam on breaks and slows down the overall flow of traffic.
If you don't leave a gap then you're forcing the people in the other lane to slow down and disrupt the flow of traffic.
It is a mistake to think that one of the two input lanes is more entitled to the output lane than the other. 2 lanes go down to 1, neither is more privileged than the other, cars should merge in turn.
If there isn't a gap then don't force a merge. Otherwise you're the one driving unsafely and causing further traffic congestion.
Your comment makes less sense when the merging lane has no one else it as well. That means the car in it that is merging over has plenty of opportunities to merge safely without causing traffic congestion however they don't.
it really depends on where they are in relation to me and if people are following them closely
when they see my signal they are behind me so making it much more difficult to merge cleanly - i can either hop over as soon as i signal (not safe) or brake so i can merge behind them, where if they hadn't sped up i'd just move over naturally in the flow of traffic
it really feels to me like your comments are meant to needle my complaint re: folks not understanding the zipper merge, am i misreading you? do you think the zipper merge should not be used?
This is how you're supposed to merge. When you get on the freeway you don't expect the current flow of traffic to accommodate for you, instead you accommodate for them.
"it really feels to me like your comments are meant to needle my complaint re: folks not understanding the zipper merge, am i misreading you? do you think the zipper merge should not be used?"
I am not sure you're understanding how it's supposed to work... People in the flowing lane aren't meant to stop or slow down to let you over.
The zipper action is meant when it's backed up. The zipper lane isn't designed for you to disrupt the current flow of traffic.
Edit: here's a video, maybe it will help you understand better
If someone speeds up when they see a car in another lane signalling that they are going to merge, in order to prevent that car from safely merging, when the merge would have been safe to perform had they not sped up to prevent it, they are definitely driving incorrectly.
You are misunderstanding. Please re-read what I've written so far. At no point did I suggest what you are saying.
> This is how you're supposed to merge. When you get on the freeway you don't expect the current flow of traffic to accommodate for you, instead you accommodate for them.
Specifically, you should read the rest of the line you are replying to here.
I mentioned people behind me speeding up to make it impossible for me to merge without braking, after I signal. At no point did I say they should "stop" or "slow down".
I was pointing out that people deliberately speeding up to make it harder to merge without braking are causing problems. It was a light-hearted comment about the failure of many drivers in my town to properly zipper merge.
Regardless Columbus has a great lack of turn signals and understanding of basic intersection rules.