The art of merging into traffic is one that takes time and practice. In a perfect world, drivers might expect the cars in the other lanes to make room for them to change lanes, but that is often not the case. Drivers must learn how to carefully judge how much time and space they have to safely merge into another lane.
When merging into traffic, drivers must be very alert and look very carefully in all directions while seeking to merge into traffic from an on ramp or busy street. It is crucial that drivers look first and then react instead of trying to merge in when a safe merging lane is not available. This could make all the difference in a safe transition to another lane of traffic.
Another key safety tip is to make sure your traffic speed is comparable with the traffic flow on the road. When merging into highway traffic, comfortably accelerate so that by the time you join your fellow drivers, you are going at roughly the same speed. Going too fast or too slowly can adversely affect the flow of traffic.
One of the worst things a driver can do is to quickly merge into a lane without giving advanced notice to the driver in back of him. It is recommended that drivers signal one to three hundred feet before merging or switching lanes. Turn signals are life-saving devices to protect against rash driving measures that can leave other drivers with little reaction time.
Safe merging helps to avoid many of the accidents that occur on the highways and residential roadways. When drivers look carefully, drive at the appropriate speed, and give plenty of notice to the drivers in the area, the roadways are a much safer place.
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