Like most everyone else, I can't help feeling extremely irritated on the road when the right lane merges into the flow of traffic and car after car zooms as far down the lane as possible instead of just merging. I heard about this study a while back that says those drivers improve the speed of traffic and thought I'd share the story with you in case you'd missed it.



By Tom Greenwood, DETROIT NEWS STAFF WRITER:

I freely admit that I detest late lane mergers.

You know who I'm talking about: those drivers who race along in an empty lane and then push their way into traffic where the road funnels into one lane because of road construction.

I sit there in my righteous fury, creeping steadily toward the choke point while these annoying drivers take cuts. I feel like I'm being penalized for playing by the rules while they're rewarded by breaking them.

So my "irk meter" went into overdrive recently when I learned studies show late merging improves the flow of traffic through the full use of both lanes.

Oh, the injustice of it all.

Studies by the Texas Transportation Institute, Minnesota Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration concluded late merging improves traffic flow as much as 15 percent.

The studies found wait time was shorter when both lanes are used to reach the merge point and then drivers took turns entering the open lane, like teeth on a zipper.

By common practice (not by law) we here in Michigan use an early merge policy in which vehicles form a long queue in one lane while leaving the other lane empty.

The closest Michigan has come to a late merge policy was the testing in 2006 of a Dynamic Late Lane Merge System at three construction projects across the state.

The dynamic merge system uses a series of detection systems tied into portable signs that warned motorists to prepare to merge. During times of heavy congestion, the signs also advised drivers to "use both lanes to the merge point" and then take turns entering the lane.

Once the congestion dissipated, the signs were turned off and motorists reverted to the early merge system. In its final evaluation, MDOT found the system did help reduce travel times but it hasn't been widely used because of money woes.

Novi resident Bill Corba has been a big advocate of the late merge system for quite a while.

"I first saw them on the Pennsylvania Turnpike," Corba said.

"They had signs which specifically told drivers to drive in both lanes to the merge point and then take turns. In Michigan that one open lane is just wasted space, plus you can get upset seeing another driver trying to squeeze in ahead of you."

But if Michigan ever adopted the late merge system, would its drivers learn to politely take turns or would we curdle the milk of human kindness?

"Michigan drivers willing to share and take turns?" said Corba with a laugh.

"Probably not right away: there's no doubt you'd have to educate Michigan drivers first."

The moral of the story is you should do as all those speed demons do and consider it a favor to everyone else on the road.