Traffic already moving along the freeway has priority over you, so you must give way and merge into an opening without forcing anyone to brake. Try to join at roughly the speed of the traffic around you, but that is something to aim for, not a requirement to match every other car at every moment.
A line joining the main arrow from the lower right shows vehicles from another road or ramp blending into your road. Be ready to slow slightly or shift lanes, when it is safe, so the merging vehicles can fit in.
The posted limit is the highest legal speed regardless of what other drivers are doing, so you must stay at or below 65 mph. Other vehicles speeding does not make it legal for you to speed too.
Braking while you are still in the main travel lanes can surprise the drivers behind you, so move into the exit lane early and do your slowing down there.
Matching the speed of vehicles already on the freeway lets you slip into a gap without forcing anyone to brake or swerve. Entering noticeably slower creates a dangerous speed difference, and the posted limit is only a maximum, since traffic may be moving slower than that.
A posted limit is the maximum for good conditions, not a target. When heavy traffic is moving at 35 mph, matching that pace is safest, because going faster forces you to tailgate and brake suddenly, while going much slower disrupts the drivers behind you.
An acceleration lane gives you room to reach the speed of expressway traffic so you can slip into a gap smoothly. Stopping at its end should be avoided unless there is truly no opening, because merging from a standstill is dangerous.
Mirrors leave blind spots beside and behind the car, so a merging driver should pair the mirror check with a quick head turn over the shoulder before choosing a gap.
A short entrance lane does not leave enough distance to match highway speed gradually, so hold back for a generous gap and then accelerate firmly to blend in. Crossing over to the left lane to gain speed would put you in the path of faster traffic.
Expressway traffic moves fast and without stopping, so hazards develop much more quickly than on a 25 mph street and you have less time to respond. That calls for faster decisions and more precise control of your vehicle.
Never back up, stop, or cut across the median on a freeway to make up for a missed exit. Continue to the next exit, leave the freeway safely, and find your way back from there.
Use the acceleration lane to reach the speed of the vehicles already on the highway, signal, find an opening, and move into it. Entering far slower or much faster than traffic makes it hard for other drivers to adjust to you.
Freeway traffic moves fast, so problems ahead arrive quickly; scanning far down the road buys you extra seconds to notice a hazard and respond safely.
Every question in this set has its own page with the correct answer and an explanation.
