Is merging early the polite move—or just causing more traffic? This episode breaks down the controversial zipper merge. From real road rage stories to surprising laws in Illinois and Utah, we dig into why waiting to merge until the last moment may actually be the better move—and why doing it too early might be slowing everyone down. Plus: the psychology behind merging and why this one driving habit sparks so much fury.

Should drivers zipper merge? Is it actually faster? What you need to know (Ahmed Jawadi, USA Today, Aug 26, 2025)

Zipper Merge (Missouri Department of Transportation, accessed Aug 28, 2025)

The Zipper Merge: The Best Way to Merge in Traffic (Kevin Feather, AAA Connect, Nov 11, 2024)

What is the zipper merge? Illinois law brings technique to highways, rulebook (ABC7, Feb 28, 2020)

Disregarding new Utah law could cost $750 (Adam Sandbek, Hill Air Force Base, Jan 6, 2023)

West Michigan family escapes close call in ‘zipper merge’ road rage incident (Charlie Tinker, ABC13, Aug 16, 2022)

Why The ‘Zipper Merge’ Will Never Work (Carlyn Beccia, Medium, Jul 26, 2021)

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