The "Me First" Principle Of Merging

The following text was copied from here: http://www.dmv.org/how-to-guides/merging-into-traffic.php. I chose to include the text so I can RANT and emphasize particular passages.

At first, I was not sure the driving laws hadn't changed over the years, but this text re-assures me that they have not. Drivers are just stupid. And aggressive. I have emphasized certain passages in blue to drive home the point that these laws have not changed. Grrrr....

Please see further commentary below the quoted text.


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Merging is a relatively straightforward driving skill to learn, but that does not change the fact that the act instills fear in some motorists. This can be chalked up to the high speeds generally involved, and the fact that the task needs to be accomplished quickly, with little room for error. But after a few rounds of practice, your behind-the-wheel confidence will be enhanced and the technique of merging will become somewhat natural.

Still, the procedure requires extreme awareness because the last thing you want to do is have the driver in the vehicle that you are merging in front of end up in your passenger seat. Nor do you want to go into a panic and wander off from the acceleration pedal and land onto the shoulder. Here are some tips to help you become a major league merger.

The Art of Entering Gaps

Merging is designed to permit vehicles to enter and exit a highway without causing disruption in the flow of traffic. Highways are equipped with on-ramps and off-ramps, which generally connect to acceleration and deceleration lanes.

The idea behind this is when you pull onto the entrance ramp, you slowly begin building velocity. At the point where you can make eye contact with the highway, you need to immediately start assessing the gaps and the speed of existing traffic. From here, you should turn on your signal to reflect your intent to other drivers to merge onto the roadway.

Then use the acceleration lane to match the speed flow, and ease your vehicle into an appropriate gap before the acceleration lane ends. Some highways give you slabs of asphalt that are long enough for a jet to take off; others, especially on the East Coast, are so short you will need to make quick decisions or yield.

A successful merge entails you entering the highway almost at or at the speed limit, while causing no disturbance in the speeds of the vehicles behind you.

Tips for Keeping the Flow

Where the entrance ramp ends and the acceleration lane begins, note the continuation of the solid white (or yellow line). Do not cross this line and head out onto the highway. It serves as the transition from the on-ramp to the lane, and crossing it can cause other drivers to miscalculate your speed and possibly collide with your vehicle. This line serves as a good indicator to begin your acceleration and gap-finding quest.

While your driver-side mirror is essential to observing traffic behind you prior to merging, you will also want to actually turn your head and check your blind spot before easing onto the road.

You should always decide on the space you will shoot for before accelerating rather than getting to full speed and then deciding. Why? Well, you only have so many yards in the lane, and if you are at full speed before you know where you are headed, you might run out of room prior to finding a traffic gap. This will cause you to have to stop, cut another driver off, or wind up on the shoulder―definitely not good merging techniques.

If you are not familiar with the on-ramp or highway section you are entering, use extra caution because you may run into all sorts of interesting obstacles including: "no merge lane" signs, which mean you will need to yield, which may require you stop before moving into traffic; and signal lights that stagger vehicles up the entrance ramp, usually during times of high traffic.

During rush hour, when the entire traffic system slogs along at a turtle's gait, the fine art of merging takes on new importance to keep the surge moving. Many times you will be driving along the highway at a good clip, and the next thing you know you are in a mass of bumper-to-bumper madness.

It lasts for a few minutes, opens up, and then clogs again at the next exit. Sometimes this is simply due to the sheer number of vehicles trying to enter or leave the road on a single stretch of asphalt utilized both as a deceleration and acceleration lane. But, you can also bet there is some improper merging going on, causing the entire system to break down into the proverbial bottleneck.

To keep a good pace in heavy traffic, merging should work like the teeth on a zipper. One vehicle merges; a vehicle already on the highway passes; another vehicle merges; a vehicle already on the highway passes, and so on. Of course, in this day and age of aggressive driving, it may not always work out this way.

The Exiting Factor

When you choose to exit the highway, you may not technically be merging (or being absorbed into traffic); rather, you are leaving the collective, but it still requires a few words.

In cases where there is only a deceleration lane and an exit ramp, you simply need to signal your intentions to other drivers and pull over. You will use the lane to slow your vehicle and continue on to other roads.

However, when the acceleration lane and the deceleration share the same portion of road surface, it can be tricky. Basically, if the vehicle entering the highway is at top acceleration, you will want to pull into the deceleration lane behind it. If you are moving at a greater clip than the vehicle just entering the acceleration lane then you will want to exit in front of the vehicle. Again, theoretically, this will keep the flow of traffic moving smoothly.
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Unfortunately, a whole lot of people in this area are of the "aggressive driver" type. I had a full dose of it this morning, too. A very long line of cars had built up in the right lane, and we had two lights to get through before the on-ramp to the highway. This is normal.

What is totally irritating, though, and actually serves to worsen the situation, are the people who are "too good" to get in line, so they speed up in the next lane and charge to the front, then force-merge into stopped traffic to get into the right lane. If you are stopped, and (like me) are not kissing the bumper of the car in front of you, then there is space enough for someone in the next lane to wedge their car in front of you in such a way that you cannot move without letting him in. This totally pisses me off. It also stops traffic in two lanes, not just one. The really great feat, though, is the car that waits until the solid white line of the on-ramp, just inches before the jersey wall barrier, to begin the force-merge. Now THAT is exciting, let me tell you!

Who taught these people to drive?!?!?!?! What part of "aggressive" driving is not apparent? Where is a cop when you need him/her? C'mon, people!!!!!!!

I swear, I want a car cam. I'll record all this stupidity, and, having captured the license plates of the cars involved, I'll turn them in. Not sure that will help, but it might make ME feel better. Maybe. Unfortunately, the people who should be reading this will not. :-(

And my every-two-week massages? Out-of-pocket, to boot? Is it a wonder that I need them? I am actually amazed I am still alive to rant! Sigh ... Thanks for listening. I feel a little better for having unloaded. And I get to experience it all again tomorrow. Oh, joy.

My Kind Of Commercial

You know how I usually rant about driving issues (mostly other drivers' stupidity)? Well, apparently I am not alone! Here is a snippet from an HD Radio commercial I heard today:

" ... Make sure to have an HD Radio pre-installed in your new car. That way, when you fail to use your turn signal, you'll have something to listen to while you wait for the ambulance to pull you from the smoldering wreckage. ..."

Perfection. ;-)

Why?

Sign above the drinking fountain.

The drinking fountain.


I find it sad that (1) adults need to be told these things, (2) the plea was ignored, and (3) this was not an isolated incident.

See? It's Not Just Me...

I came home this evening to a phone message from Beloved Reader #2, and she gave me permission to share it here. Seems she got rear-ended (just a tap), they both got out of their vehicles to check for damage, and here is the ensuing conversation:

Other Woman: Why did you stop?
BR#2: It was a red light.
OW: But it's right turn on red.
BR#2: Only after a stop.
OW: But there was no one coming.
BR#2: But I didn't know that until after I'd stopped.
OW: {pregnant silence}
BR#2: Look, my car is fine, and we're blocking traffic here, so if you want my insurance information, let me know, cuz I gotta go.
OW: Yeah, me too.

Not a dramatic end to that conversation, but "Why did you stop?"?!?!? That means if she had been the front vehicle, she would have rolled right through the red light and thought nothing of it. See - I cannot make up this stuff ... it is everywhere! Just multiply this by 100,000 drivers on the DC-area roads at rush hour, and you'll understand the seriousness of the situation. BR#2 was thankful she does not have to commute in this stuff every day. Me? I just get a massage every 10 days or so, and I live through it.

Frustrating Day In Muddville

Is Muddville spelled with one or two 'd's? Sigh.

I tell ya, when I leave the office, my day is supposed to get better, not worse. But when I am surrounded by stoopid people driving objects of destruction and not paying attention, can you tell it irritates me just a little bit??!?!

First up: Lady in large View-blocker (SUV), holding cell phone in her right hand and gesturing with her left. Holding the steering wheel with ... what? Not her teeth, because her mouth never stopped moving. For miles. I even took various back roads to try and shake her, but she hugged my bumper, for miles. Amazing she did not hit me.

Next up: Woman in front of me driving 10 mph below the speed limit in the left lane. Would.not.speed.up. I could not get into the right lane to pass her because all the people behind me were doing that and cutting me off. Idiots. I finally got around her after a few miles. Grrrrrrr....

Then I went to the grocery store - had to pick up an Rx. Leaving the store, there was a car stopped in the driving lane. Well, actually, both lanes, since she was in the middle of the two lanes, just stopped. I stepped into the cross walk and looked at her to make sure she did not plan to start moving. Nope - she was too busy texting on her cell to even notice I was there. Then once I was about 2/3 of the way across, she started moving (surprise!) and turned into the lane in which I was walking. She drove reeeeal slooooowly, like she was following me to my spot, then she sped up and I looked over - still texting. She went past a few open spaces, then stopped. As a guy started to back out of his spot, she threw her vehicle into reverse and almost nailed him. WT!?! She finally took her car out of reverse and pulled into one of the empty spots - still texting. I got into my car and left, and she was ... still texting. WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE TALKING TO!?!?!?!

Ahem.

I get to the fabric store to pick up my sharpened scissors. As the line grew longer, one of the registers closed. CLOSED. When she finally got to me, she had no clue where to find the scissors, so she abandoned her post (line still growing). She was in slow motion the whole check-out time, then she informed me that even though the ticket says $42, she knows scissor sharpening is $3, and so she did not want me to be surprised. Note: This was a huge, heavy bag, obviously containing more than one pair of scissors. I looked at her and told her that there were multiple pairs of scissors in the bag, 14 to be exact, and 14 times 3 is 42, so that is the correct amount. She just did not want me to "wonder". I know she was just trying to help, but I wonder how she gets dressed in the morning. Oh, did I mention her hair was green with blue tints?

Then I get home. I had a message from my Rx company to call. It was a very...slow...speaking...voice...on...a...recording. Did I want to hear about a program about blah, blah, blah? Speak Yes or No after the tone. No. Okay, let us tell you about this blah, blah, blah program that is included at no extra cost with your plan. (What part of No was not clear, here?) blah, blah, blah ... Would you like to reconsider your answer. NO. Well, if you ever DO wish to reconsider ... aaaaaaaaagh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And just now, as I am typing this rant, I get a phone call from another machine - this time from my Dr's office. They have this automated system that calls you - over and over and over until you respond - to confirm your appt. To continue in English, please press 1. I LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH!

Stop the world, I want to get off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I think I need a distraction. Hey, look, in just one short hour it will be my bed-time. I hope I am unwound by then .... at least typing all of this made me feel a little better. Sigh ...

How To Change Lanes - 101

Today's lesson is How To Change Lanes. This is a basic maneuver and must be mastered if you ever hope to advance to the Merge lesson. Let us begin.

First and foremost, it is imperative that you understand the meaning and purpose of the directional (turn signal). The directional is used to inform other drivers in your vicinity of your intent to do something. Did you read that? Your intent. Think of it as your Early Warning System. When hundreds of people are moving tons of metal in skinny asphalt lanes, it is important to take measures to ensure none of these metal masses make contact.

Once you understand that a directional is to indicate intent, then the following steps can be easily followed to safely change lanes:

1. Turn on your directional.
2. Look in your side-view mirror to ascertain the options. You'll need to make sure there will be room for your vehicle in the lane into which you plan to move.
3. Look in your blind spot to verify there is no vehicle lurking. This will require you to look over your shoulder.
4. Once you have determined there is room for your vehicle to safely move into an available opening, begin to cross the dashed line.
5. Complete your lane-change, then turn off your directional.
6. This last step is optional, but I always raise my hand and wave a Thank You via the rear-view mirror to the person who let me in.

Unfortunately for those of us in the DC area, most people follow these other lane-change rules (DO NOT TRY THIS YOURSELF):
1. Speed up, or alternatively you may even stop. Either option will serve to scare the people driving anywhere near you.
2. Slide over the dashed line.
3. Glance briefly to your right and notice the vehicle therein, parallel with your own.
4. Slide back into your original lane.
5. Slide over the line again to begin your lane change.
6. Go to Step 3. After several iterations of Steps 3-5, you may proceed to Step 7.
7. Move the front end of your vehicle into the next lane, without regard to there being room for you. This causes the vehicle you almost hit to slam on their brakes to avoid hitting you (thus making room for you).
8. Flash your directional once, if you bother with it at all.
9. Complete your lane change, then repeat all the above steps while trying to move over one more lane.
10. Extra points if there are children in the vehicle with you.
11. Bonus points if you do this with children and while on a cell phone.

Pop Quiz

Today's commute home was a real killer, so here is a pop quiz based on the first few miles of my mis-adventure. Let's see how you do!

1. True or False. You are driving in a lane that is an on-ramp (merge lane) to a very busy expressway. You should immediately brake, make sure to come to a complete stop, look over your shoulder, and wait for someone to let you in (across the solid white line, since you are not even in the straight-away part of the lane, yet).

2. True or False. You are several cars behind the driver in #1. You should peel out of line, drive on the shoulder past all the other cars in front of you, cut back over into the merge lane and begin your merge process.

3. True or False. You are driving in the right lane on the expressway, and to your right is a merge lane (on-ramp). A vehicle turns on their left directional (that blinkie thing) to indicate they plan to move over into the space in your lane directly in front of you. In response to this signal, you should immediately speed up to close the gap and cut off the merging driver.

4. True or False. After cutting off the merging driver, you should immediately speed up some more so you can, without a directional (there's that blinkie thing again) to indicate your intentions, quickly swerve from the driving lane into the merge lane so you not only scare the bajeezus out of the other driver, but also so you can speed to the end of the lane, then cut off some other drivers so you are now 3 cars ahead of where you started.

5. True or False. This was a rare occurance in my daily commute experience.

6. True or False. The situation got better when I tried to merge the remaining 3 lanes to the left I need to merge (yes, every day).

If you answered True to any one of these questions (especially #s 5 or 6), please do me a favor and stay out of the DC area for, oh, the next 15 years or so, okay? I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you.