On your mark, get set, merge!
During this summer I find myself driving on the freeway almost every day. My kids are playing a lot of baseball and that takes us to many different baseball parks within an hour’s drive away. The freeway becomes a necessity in order to let us reach our destination in a timely manner. The down side is many drivers have very little knowledge of their responsibilities while entering and driving along the freeway. How’s your freeway knowledge?
Recently, while I was traveling along the freeway, I witnessed a driver trying to enter. It was rush hour, but traffic was moving along at the speed limit and was scattered across the freeway in every lane. The driver trying to enter did very little to make space for themselves. There was a transport truck directly beside them, but plenty of space ahead of the truck. The driver trying to enter eventually drove along the shoulder and slowed to get onto the freeway. Why didn’t they accelerate in the merging lane and use the space that the truck driver gave them? Did they not realize the merging lane is where they need to increase their speed?
Merging onto a freeway/expressway/parkway has always been tricky. You need the help of drivers that are already on the freeway to let you in, and you need the skill to make room for yourself. The problem that I see is that some drivers ignore the fact that someone is entering from their right and they need space. It’s time to re-educate ourselves.
I’ve watched this happen quite often over the years. I see a driver hanging around in the right hand lane on the freeway. They pass many entrances with drivers trying to enter and they do nothing to help the maneuver become smooth. Why not? Is it because they weren’t aware of the merging driver? Is it because they don’t know what to do? Maybe both.
Let’s face it; it can be quite frustrating when someone doesn’t let you in when you’re trying to merge. I’ve seen drivers not let the merging driver in, but that driver merges in anyway. The driver on the freeway honks and yells at the driver. Why? I think if they put the shoe on the other foot it may have been an easier transition for both.
Here’s what I suggest. Look well ahead of where you are and determine if a driver will be merging onto the freeway. If you’re not taking the next exit and if possible, change lanes to give them a free lane to enter the freeway. If you’re taking the next exit, or if you can’t change lanes because of traffic, adjust speed to let them in. Sometimes you’ll have to speed up to let traffic in behind you.
Now, let’s deal with you as the merging driver. Give yourself a chance to merge safely. Keep a good following distance behind the driver in front who’s also merging onto the freeway. This helps both of you to merge between the vehicles that are already on the freeway. Keeping 3 to 4 seconds of space in front will make this happen easier. Check your mirrors and blind spot as you begin to accelerate to match the flow of traffic. Just before moving over, check your mirrors and blind spot again, just to ensure its safe. Remember that the shoulder can help if you run out of room to merge because of an unthinking driver who tries to block your merge.
The freeways have been designed to help us reach our destinations in a quicker manner, but let’s do it safely too. Common sense tells us we can’t go any faster than the driver in front of us. Increase the space around us and remember the left lanes are for faster traffic. Who knows, it could be the link to driving safely on the freeway!
You have definitely said it very well Scott. Keep up the awesome communication!
I sure hope the driver that was ahead of me going onto the freeway today reads your blog. Once in the acceleration/merging lane, they came to dead stop, waiting for the freeway to be free of any vehicles in the adjacent lanes.
I see this type of thing all the time. Most of the time it’s the other merger in front of me that doesn’t get up to speed before trying to merge. Then I have to slow down too until they merge into the next lane. It’s very frustrating sometimes. I mean, you’re supposed to be going faster, that’s what the Expressway/Highway is for… and all they do is slow down. If you don’t feel comfortable driving on a Highway, don’t do it!
Everytime I get onto the highway I hear my dad’s voice going “find a spot and match speeds!” That said, I think your advice is absolutely golden. I can certainly also relate it back to an experience I had recently while making the 411 mile trip home. One could say I’ve got a terrible commute: I work in DC and “live” in southern West Virginia–411 miles of Appalachian-traversing adventure!
It was rainy and not particularly pleasant, I was climbing a grade with no cars ahead of me, yet a row of other cars also taking the grade slowly behind me, and someone comes zipping up the on-ramp, he’s got speed and momentum on his side. I waved and flashed my lights at him to signal that he had room and could merge ahead of me (at the time we were side by side though he was beginning to pass me). He wouldn’t do it. Even though any other action would’ve required me or the person behind me to hit the brakes and lose a lot of the momentum on this grade. I had to slow down and bit by bit I was down to under 40 mph on an interstate, flashing my lights, and even honking my horn to alert to this driver that, no seriously, it’s in everyone’s best interest if he’s a little less timid, maintains his speed (which had been at least 10 mph faster than me in the beginning), and just takes the lead on our little right-lane convoy up the grade.
Things like that frustrate me endlessly. I feel like many drivers drive as if they are wearing blinders, yet a glance in the mirror would’ve shown no gaps for a ways behind me on this already challenging grade.
Mmm, that was cathartic! Keep up the great work!
If someone is entering and signalling, I offer space to merge, if they choose to ignore it, they learn a lesson in geometry, rectangles do not fit into triangles where a diamond shaped sign told you already. If I am merging I do signal and I make every effort to go behind the guy who may be beside me as I enter. Far too often I find motorists with this obessive need to be ahead of people when they merge. (Behind is usally several hundred feet, ahead is usually less than 10 feet) This never bodes well as the further you go to get ahead, the less lane you have to do so. Split merge lanes are a real problem on Hwy 400 and 404/DVP. If the Minsitry cannot design lanes effectively they need to be eliminated. While Black Creek/Jane ramp area was being resurfaced we had 2 good lanes, excellent flow, and no merging issues, you either exited or stayed. As soon as they re-opened the third split merge lane, it became traffic chaos all over again. It does not matter how many signs are posted to say a lane ends, people will enter it as long as the lane that actually moves is full of cars, and the merge lane isn’t. It’s Me Society Syndrome. People are so admant about moving forward they ignore signs telling them their choice is not worthwhile. Simple basic geometry, rectangles do not fit in triangles. A 5 yr old can master this, a motorist should be able to, sadly many motorists do not think as a rule. This happens in downtown streets that allow parking, motorists will kamikaze between parked cars rather than follow the left lane flow, because they are moving slower or stopped as they approach.
My comedy has many names for these geometrically inept souls, its not rocket science, the math is way simpler.