GACO Corner: How to zipper on the Autobahn

Welcome to our informational series on driving in Germany. Last week we discussed when and how to form an emergency vehicle lane. This week our driving topic is merging.

Merging lanes in Germany is very important — the term used is Reissverschlussverfahren, which translates to “the zipper system.”

The system is encoded in German Road Traffic Regulations (§ 7 (4) StVO) and dictates that when two lanes converge into one, drivers should proceed all the way to the front of their respective lane and wait to merge at the last possible point. Then they should alternately fold together like teeth on a zipper.

It is counter-intuitive and seems like you are cutting in line, but if everybody does it, it is the most efficient way to merge lanes and make the most of the space available. Studies have shown that the zipper line rule can increase merging capacity by as much as 15 to 20 percent.

Next week we will discuss idling engines.