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Polish drivers required to ‘zipper merge’ under new rules

19.10.2019 09:00
Polish drivers will be required to “zipper merge” in congested traffic under new rules approved by the country’s parliament.
Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk (left) and Deputy Infrastructure Minister Rafał Weber (right) during a press conference promoting the new traffic rules in Warsaw on Friday.
Infrastructure Minister Andrzej Adamczyk (left) and Deputy Infrastructure Minister Rafał Weber (right) during a press conference promoting the new traffic rules in Warsaw on Friday. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak

Under the new “zipper merging” approach, drivers will be required to merge at a late stage in places where two or more lanes of traffic narrow to one.

Experts say zipper merging helps relieve road congestion and is preferred to early merging because studies show that leaving a lane unoccupied is inefficient and only makes traffic heavier.

The zipper method is based on the idea of a zipper smoothly coming together.

'Emergency corridors'

In another new traffic rule approved by the upper house of Poland’s parliament, the Senate, on Friday, drivers will be required to move aside and create "emergency corridors" to allow emergency services to reach the scene of a road accident as fast as possible in case of traffic congestion.

An emergency corridor enables faster progression of emergency service vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks and ensures their access to accident sites.

Eighty-four senators, all those voting, on Friday supported the new rules, which are expected to kick in later this year.

(gs/pk)

Source: PAP