Learn how to correctly get ON and OFF a freeway, interstate, or motorway.
How To Correctly Merge Onto A Freeway
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Introduction
- Are there smart drivers who work with Smart Drive Test?
Frequently asked question is how to merge onto a busy freeway.
We going to give you that information today, stick around, we'll be right back.
Welcome back, talking to you today about merging onto a busy freeway.
Put the Pedal to the Metal and Get That Sucker Moving
So we're getting out onto the on-ramp and then we going to get on to the acceleration lane.
So signal as soon as you get on to the on-ramp here, we're checking the cross traffic here 'cause we're coming out of a rest area and we turn on to the acceleration lane.
We're not on the acceleration lane until the continuity line is up there.
So I've got my signal on, I've got my foot right on the floor because this is a very short acceleration lane.
And I left in a third gear and you could see that I hit approximately 55 miles an hour, which is about ninety kilometers an hour before I got out onto the freeway.
And it was a very short acceleration lane.
And so you need to get your foot into it. Put the pedal to the metal!
You need to have signal on and you need to have your foot into it.
The traffic will move around you, but you need to commit, totally commit.
You need to have your foot into the throttle.
The Onus of Responsibility is on the Merging Driving
You need to have your signal on and you need to be checking your mirrors and whatnot, just in case you need to aboard, but not likely.
If you can get up to at least 55 miles an hour or 90 kilometers an hour, you going to be fine.
And you going to be able to merge over on to the highway or freeway with a short acceleration lane, okay.
And we're still on-ramp here because of the solid white line.
So you look for the solid white lines.
Pick your Spot & Commit...Totally Commit
And even if you're on a straightaway as I am here, you can see that that I'm on the on-ramp.
I'm not on the acceleration lane and there isn't any here.
I picked my spot and I move in behind this truck and it's going to happen like that where you're just not going to have any acceleration lane.
You going to not be able to get the vehicle going.
So you going to have to get it up to speed on the on-ramp, not on the acceleration lane.
And keep in mind, the onus of responsibility is on the merging vehicle, but that doesn't mean that the traffic on the highway on the interstate isn't going to help you out.
Most of the time, they will help you out.
You can see here in some of the dash cam footage that I have, that they going to slow down.
They going to brake.
They going to move over to the other lane for you.
Driving is a social activity.
They will help you out as much as they can but sometimes traffic on the highway or freeway simply can't help you out because there's a vehicle beside them.
They can't move over.
They can't slow down because there's traffic right on their tailor and those types of things.
And I know it's intimidating for new drivers to have to do this because there's a lot going on.
You're moving really fast.
You're at high speeds.
You've got your foot right into the throttle.
I'll put a card up in the corner for you on a video.
You need to look at for speed control, but you need to commit.
You need to get your foot into it, but you need to manage space as well.
If you're in a line of traffic merging out onto the highway, you got to maintain your space behind the vehicle in front of you, two to three seconds.
If you're following them out, if it's a long on-ramp and you're following other traffic out onto the highway, make sure you maintain that two to three second following distance.
So if the vehicle in front of you keeps touching their brakes, that's an indicator to you that you could potentially get into trouble with them and rear end them.
I'll put a card up on the corner for you on rear-ending other vehicles on on-ramps onto highways or freeways.
And I'll show you how to get off the highway freeway here, do not slow down on the highway, maintain your speed until you get to the off-ramp until you completely in the off-ramp, then you start slowing down.
You May Have to Use the On-Ramp to Gain Speed
Again we're watching for the solid lines and we're looking for the solid line on our right to go from solid to dotted and that exit lane begins.
So here, right as soon as it starts getting into it, I now have the continuity lines on my left, which indicates that the lane that I'm in is either going to exit or end, which means it's going to exit in this case.
So you don't start slowing down until you get off here and get off onto the off-ramp here.
Seeing the dash cam here, this truck is merging out and basically I just let off the throttle a little bit.
They got on the throttle as they're supposed to do and with the two of us working together, that vehicle was able to just merge out onto the freeway without any fuss or muss to other traffic.
Smart points to remember:
never stop on an acceleration lane, unless traffic is completely backed up and you have to match the flow of traffic.
Onus of responsibility for merging is on the merging driver, traffic on the highway or interstate may help you out, but don't count on it.
If you have any tips or ideas about merging and helping new drivers do that safely.
Leave a comment down in the comment section.
And remember, pick the best answer.
I'm necessarily the right answer.
I have a great day.
Bye now.
