Romania considers mandatory ‘zipper rule’ for traffic management

A legislative project in Romania aims to officially implement the ‘zipper rule’ to reduce traffic congestion and improve road organization. The proposal has received a favorable report from the Chamber of Deputies after being analyzed by four parliamentary committees. While the text has passed the Senate through tacit adoption, it is not yet in force.

The rule would require drivers to allow vehicles to merge into traffic alternately. This would apply in situations where a lane becomes unusable due to roadworks or obstacles, requiring one vehicle from each lane to merge successively. Additionally, the rule would apply at certain intersections where a secondary road meets a main artery that is heavily congested or moving at low speeds, provided the traffic is not controlled by traffic lights.

To become law, the project must be adopted by the Chamber of Deputies, promulgated by the President of Romania, and published in the Official Gazette. Failure to comply with these new regulations could result in significant fines for drivers.