What should you do when merging onto a highway?

When merging onto a highway, increasing your speed to match the traffic flow is crucial for a smooth and safe merging process. This action ensures that you become part of the highway traffic rather than disrupting it. Maintaining a similar speed helps prevent potential accidents that can occur from sudden changes in velocity, and it allows for a more seamless integration into the flow of vehicles.

Additionally, when you approach a merge lane, you should always be aware of vehicles already on the highway and identify a safe gap in that traffic. By aligning your speed with that of the vehicles currently traveling on the highway, you can more easily find that gap and merge without requiring other drivers to adjust their speed significantly, which could lead to dangerous situations.

Options that suggest decreasing speed, stopping, or merging at a lower speed can create hazards not only for yourself but also for other drivers, as they may have to brake suddenly or alter their trajectory to accommodate your move onto the highway. Therefore, matching the speed of highway traffic is the safest and most effective practice for successfully merging.