Violations cost a fine of CHF 100: zipper no longer jams

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The zipper principle is mandatory in Switzerland since 2021. For example, if two lanes meet on the highway, it’s like knitting: one on the right to the combined lane, then one on the left – always alternately. This ensures everyone gets rolling and no one gets blocked. Because: Previously, it was recommended “only” on end roads or bottlenecks. The person heading for the bottleneck – and often still is despite the new rule – is blocked, humiliated and honked as a supposed repulsive.

The result: Many enter the uninterrupted lane too early for fear of not being let in. Disaster for the traffic flow: You have to brake briefly, wait for the gap, and then intervene. And turn one bottleneck into several! The zipper gets stuck, making the traffic flow even slower. Even by really friendly drivers: You’ll experience more delays in slow-moving traffic if you allow several drivers instead of one.

make full use of the trace

Here’s how it works: In heavy, slow-moving traffic, use the end lane all the way to the end instead of the queue that continues behind the lane or converges before. This cuts the length of the traffic jam in half and prevents congestion. Then drive alternately: one from the right, one from the left, one from the right. The drives in the next lane gradually create gaps of the appropriate size for the threaders and adapt to the speed of the spacers during splicing. The idea: traffic should never stop, thus reducing the accordion effect of continuous stop-and-go traffic.

Correct threading point

Where should a thread be? The Federal Highway Office (Astra) says: This is due to speed and traffic. If you’re driving fast on the highway in smooth traffic, please stay early, as usual, and at a safe distance from obstructions or lane shortening, and never wait until the last moment. However: When slowing down in heavy traffic, please only enter just before the end of the lane (eg in front of arrows on the ground or “clicking posts” of a construction site).

No, then you are not a reindränger. Most of the time you can orient yourself to each other – and if the rhythm is right, neither part will stop completely. That’s exactly the goal!

Waste of time is minimal

Anyone who is bothered by the so-called situation in front of you, pull your hair: you could go to the cleaner lane yourself. And where they aren’t, it’s not the other person’s fault that they’re on the “better” path. The personal waste of time feels huge, but in reality it is very little. Therefore, if you are already going slow, please do not continue to switch to the currently better lane: Every unnecessary lane change is poison to the traffic flow.

Showing push-in

Very important: So you have a vacancy since 2021? NO! The lane changer is responsible for ensuring that no one is hindered or endangered. If in doubt, he must wait: the turn signal he sets is just a question, not an order! The new thing is that you have to let the threader pull: Anyone who doesn’t create gaps pays a CHF 100 fine for blocking them. However: Anyone who pushes himself violently is in danger and may therefore be reported at great expense, as in the past.

By the way: Zipping in heavy traffic also applies to highway lane lanes. In normal traffic, the following still applies: no space rights. Because the street is not the place for power games and the new rule should push us to be more tolerant and move forward faster together as a result.

Source: Blick