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VIDEO | 05:23
LA Times Today: It’s called the zipper merge, and traffic-jammed California drivers do it all wrong

LA Times Today: It’s called the zipper merge, and traffic-jammed California drivers do it all wrong

Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.

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It happens all the time on busy highways like the 405 and the 110. All of a sudden, a sea of red brake lights, and traffic abruptly comes to a halt due to a lane closure.

But transportation experts say losing a lane doesn’t have to slow traffic down – there’s actually a science to merging. When used properly, it keeps traffic moving.

It’s called the zipper merge — and California drivers have been doing it all wrong.

L.A. Times reporter Jonah Valdez explains.

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