Unit 5 Flashcards
What must you do to help merge onto the interstate/expressway as safely as possible?
Speed up. Accelerate aggressively until you are at the speed limit or flow of traffic under the speed limit. Merging at a much slower speed is not safe. If you are merging at 45mph and traffic is coming up behind you at 60-65 mph, you pose a threat to everyones’ safety by going too slow. Check your side mirror early (once you come around the final curve on the on ramp) so you have the most time/space to adjust your speed to the speed of traffic on the expressway.
Who has the right-of-way when a car is merging on and another is merging off at a weave lane?
Whether it is a weave lane or not, the vehicle merging onto the expressway must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the expressway. When you are on the expressway and there is a vehicle merging on, don’t pull into their blind spot as they are merging, even though you have the right-of-way. Watch out, some drivers don’t know the ROW rules and will expect you to get out of their way as they merge.
What can you do to make merging at a weave lane easier and safer?
Just like any other lane change, maintain your speed (blend speed with traffic) and get your turn signal early (at least 5 seconds) check your mirrors and blind spot. The main thing is don’t slow down before making your lane change.
What do you always have to be prepared to do at a merge area?
- Adjust your speed. If there is a vehicle pulling up beside you, let off the gas and slow down enough to get in behind them. If they are farther back but catching you, accelerate to stay ahead of them (if you are not up to the speed limit).
- If there is a semi at the merge area you’ll have to drive on the shoulder for a few feet as you let off the gas or brake slightly to merge in behind the semi. Don’t try to cut in front of the semi. Don’t brake hard. You could get rear ended or slow down too much which makes your merge less safe.
What are the potential hazards to search for (and safe rescue spots to search for) when driving in the right lane of an expressway.
Merging traffic and vehicles on the right should are the hazards. The rescue spot to search for is that the right shoulder is your safe place to go if something bad happens and that you are in position to exit.
The center lane can be affected by merging traffic. You have no where to go in this lane if something bad happens (especially in bad weather). Usually there is less traffic in the center lane vs the right lane and it moves closer to the speed limit. The left lane moves faster than the other two lanes because people move to the left to pass. There is a shoulder on the left, but it isn’t as wide or as safe as the right shoulder.
When in the right lane of the expressway and you come to a merge area, where should you look?
Look in your right side mirror to see if there is a vehicle coming up beside you that might try to pass and cut in front of you.
When should you begin slowing if you are exiting the expressway?
Check your rear-view mirror before you slow and wait until you are of the expressway before braking.
