How do you merge on the highway in heavy traffic?

Do you slow down/stop in the acceleration lane and wait patiently for an opening?

Do you drive/stop on the shoulder of the road and wait for an opening?

Do you jam into a small opening and force your way in by brute force and hope the guy you are cutting off stops in time and doesn't read-end you?

IMHO. The guy is supposed to let the merge lane merge, so it's up to him to slow down and let you in.

I time it perfectly and accelerate to blend into traffic, having put my signal on first to remind them I'm coming.

Merging onto the highway n heavy traffic is so stressful - there are so many idiots driving whose bad skills are amplified in the situation.

Slowing/stopping is the worst! You not only make it even more difficult for yourself, but for every car behind you which had to slow or stop!

If the ramps are long enough, and I see someone stopped, I will slow to a crawl wayyyyyy back, so as soon as they get the hell out of the way, I will have plenty of room to speed up to blend in.

Back in the bad ol' days, before Central Expressway in Dallas was rebuilt, the best way to get on the highway was "punch it and pray!"

Sorry, was having a "driving on Central" flashback. :)

While you're still on the on ramp, signal, then merge into existing traffic (unless, of course, there's a yield sign).

Most people try to merge waaay to slowly. You need to be coming faster than existing traffic because you're coming at it from an angle.

I hate people who don't merge properly. Going a little faster gives you some leeway to go evan faster or slow down, let a guy pass and hop in behind his bumper.

People who swerve in front to semis also bug me. They either have a death wish or have no idea how a semi works.

the ramp is short and sharply curved. We have a lot of those like that around here.

The merge lane is not a passing lane. You do not have right of way and if an accident stems from it - you get the ticket and the accompanying raise in insurance rates. If there's a dick who knows that and doesn't want to let you in in front of him, you'll have to slow down and possibly brake - and force a clog behind you.

Best is to match oncoming and use your accelerator to time yourself into a place for your best hole.

speed up in barely moving traffic so as not to let you merge, like getting one car length ahead of you in stop and go traffic is going to get them to their destination an entire 30 seconds sooner!

I try to merge into an opening, with signal on...patience with just a pinch of agression seems to work for me.

If I've been stuck in crawling traffic and am finally right at the point where the lanes merge, and you're shooting down the ramp thinking all that space means you're going to scoot right in and not put up with the hell the rest of us have, guess again.

and hit the gas

Merging into the right lane,no problem.

the guy i have to cut off was trying to exit the ramp in front of me...

the other 1 time, i just close my eyes, put both feet on the gas peddle, and lean left.

works like a charm.
dp

when I have an ugly beast with parts hanging off and a lot of paint scratches they just naturally get the hell out of my way. Drive something uppity and folks like to give you shit.

Slowing down/stopping in the acceleration lane is one of the things that'd make me re-think my position on the death penalty.

Anyway, I blend. That's what the acceleration lane is for. Get up to speed and move in.

At least that is what the police officer told me before hauling me to jail.

Someone decided that making the merge lanes ten feet long along the North Carolina stretch of I-95 was a good idea, so what you do is slow down till you see a slot that looks almost big enough to hold your car, then floorboard it and hope you make it before the Wal-Mart truck gets there.

B. E. aggressive!

Now I'll have that in my head all day. Thanks!

Just wandering. That's all...

Did I mention that's a major peeve of mine? Merge means maintain a reasonable speed and ease your car into traffic. I have seen (and almost been in) more near-accidents because of people who pull onto the on-ramp and then STOP. Idiots!

I observe the traffic flow while I'm on the ramp, not while I'm in the acceleration lane. Occasionally there's a phlegm wad who balks at the audacity of those who wish to merge onto HIS/HER highway; but there are at least as many considerate drivers here as there are rude ones.

And I always always always offer a friendly wave and a blessing to those who are courteous enough to let me in when I signal a lane change in heavy traffic. Who knows? They may bless me the next time I show them the same kindness. :)

Match speed with traffic, fit myself into one of the spaces.

People who stop or slow down in the acceleration lane or who drive on the shoulder need to go back to driver's ed.

If you feel the need to merge in heavy traffic and just can't wait, please pull over to the shoulder to do your coupling, by the time you finish the traffic should be lightened up.

Match your speed to the lane you're merging into, and move smoothly into whatever gap there is. Look for it well in advance so that you don't make anyone else either slow down or speed up to let you merge. Your whole goal driving should always be for others to not have to change what they're doing because you're there. And always assume you ARE invisible; you'll be startled less often by how moronically people drive if you assume they'll do the stupidest possible thing.

I HATE people who stop at the end of a freeway ramp. That is the least intelligent possible way to merge.

...ever since I got this new ride.

Everyone thinks it's some sort of contest with PRIZE MONEY waiting for them at the end. There is no such thing as civility and cooperation. If they let you merge... they lose. If they let you change lanes... they lose.

-- Allen

"Death Before Yielding." I did my time on the beltway, and I'll never forget it!

takes pity on me...Seriously, I do speed up if it is going to get me in and help move traffic along. :hi:

Put on some music. Make phone calls. I make certain that I am stopped so that no one can possibly get around me. I enjoy my solitude, but with the knowledge that I have put my motorist sisters and brothers at rest in midst of their busy busy lives. They thank me for this. I know because they wave their hands and honk. Then I honk and wave too and it is like one big party.

Sometimes another motorist gets out of the car and invites me to get myself and my vehicle onto the highway.

I prefer to wait until traffic is completely clear. This takes a while, but in the meantime I can listen to traffic reports about a huge jam JUST WHERE I AM! Talk about your coincidences!