Emergency stopping lane (continued)
Emergency · Stopping · Lane · Emergency · Stopping · Lane
Emergency stopping lanes border the lanes of travel on a primary highway. Do not drive in the emergency stopping lane of a highway. Do not pass or assist another vehicle to pass you by using this lane.
Entering and exiting a major roadway
Merging
Merging is done when two roadways join into one and the traffic on the main roadway must cooperate to allow enough space for vehicles to enter from the merging lane. Neither the merging vehicle nor the vehicles already on the highway have the right-of-way. Merging is a shared responsibility between the vehicles joining the roadway and the vehicles already on the roadway.
Avoid reducing your speed abruptly or stopping when merging. Merging lanes are designed to allow your vehicle to reach the posted speed limit of the road you are merging onto. The drivers behind you are expecting you to continue moving ahead. If you slow or stop your vehicle may be hit from behind.
Some tips for merging safely
- Merging requires that you plan and time your approach to blend smoothly with traffic, without stopping or abruptly reducing your speed.
- Check the traffic flow on the highway as soon as you can see the lane where you will be merging.
- Choose your gap in the traffic, and begin adjusting your speed, if required. Keep glancing at the gap you chose to ensure you are making the speed and timing adjustments necessary to safely merge without affecting traffic.
- Use your signal light before or when you are in the acceleration lane.
- Accelerate to the speed of the traffic on the main road.
- Keep shoulder checking to view the gap and look in your rear view mirror for vehicles following you.
- When it is safe and legal, move into the gap after you are past the solid white line of the acceleration lane. Maintain your speed at or near the speed of the other vehicles.
- Ensure your signal light is turned off. If you are on the main roadway, and traffic is merging, move left to the next lane if it is safe. This leaves the right travel lane clear for the merging vehicles to enter.