MN State Patrol: Drivers Must Change Mindset to Master This Technique

A lot of people get frustrated by certain driving habits, especially slow drivers in the left lane and those who don’t know how to use a roundabout properly—whether they hesitate too much or don’t yield when they should. These kinds of drivers can test your patience.

Recently, Sergeant Troy Christianson from the Minnesota State Patrol discussed another thing that many Minnesotans still struggle with, and it's been causing more crashes and road rage incidents.

NEXT: What You Need To Know About Your Minnesota Driver's License

According to the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, there are more than 4 million (4,273,027) licensed drivers in Minnesota and most of those people have a Class D driver's license.

MN State Patrol: Drivers Must Change Mindset to Master This Technique

Sergeant Troy Christianson says this driving strategy requires Minnesota drivers to change their mindset.

Christianson said, "The late merge or “Zipper Merge” is a driving strategy that requires a change in the mindset of motorists who traditionally have been taught to merge early when recognizing that a lane will end."

He explains that you should wait to merge. "The results of early merging are longer backups, an increase in crashes, and road rage incidents."

How To Properly Execute The Zipper Merge

Christianson says, "The driving procedure to follow is when you see the “lane closed ahead” sign and traffic is backing up, stay in your current lane up to the point of merge. Then take turns with other drivers to safely and smoothly ease into the remaining lane. When traffic is heavy and slow, it is much safer for motorists to remain in their current traffic lane until the point where traffic can orderly take turns merging."

Got a traffic related question? Email  Sgt. Troy Christianson –Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us