Merging while driving - do you slow down, or speed up?

[moonbogg]

The question in more detail is, generally speaking, any time you are driving and you will soon occupy the same space with another vehicle (crash) unless one of you speed up or slows down to let the other guy get in line, which do you do? Are you the one who speeds up to get in front, or do you slow down and let them go in front?

 

[Scarpozzi]

Depends on my speed, their speed, road conditions, state I happen to be in, and what they're driving (perceived acceleration). What a ridiculous question...not enough info.

 

[IronWing]

I just stare fixedly ahead and maintain speed. If I can't see them, they can't hurt me.

 

[Thebobo]

As soon as start to merge I insist on merging 4 lanes right away I don't care if there are ZERO cars ahead of me in any lane I must get to the fourth lane right away or I will die.

 

[thebestMAX]

Florida drivers NEVER slow down to merge. They think it is impossible to get in behind someone.

Every situation is different but I usually slow down.

 

[DrPizza]

The scenario in the OP almost never happens. People in my area of NY almost always move over into the left lane to give merging traffic more room to merge onto the highway. I think it's called, "being courteous to other drivers." Though it may be an alien concept in some areas of the country.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Depends on my speed, their speed, road conditions, state I happen to be in, and what they're driving (perceived acceleration). What a ridiculous question...not enough info.

:thumbsup:

 

[Markbnj]

Similar question: parking while driving - do you turn right or left?

 

[tynopik]

i try to match speed while merging, that's what everyone says is the safest way

also it freaks out the other driver when they can't get away from you

 

[SamQuint]

The main thing is you should be going as fast or faster than the person you are pulling in front of in the next lane. If you move into the next lane and the guy you are pulling in front of has to break or slow down then you are a jerk and should have waited for them to pass you.

 

[smackababy]

The scenario in the OP almost never happens. People in my area of NY almost always move over into the left lane to give merging traffic more room to merge onto the highway. I think it's called, "being courteous to other drivers." Though it may be an alien concept in some areas of the country.

It is an alien concept. People, especially in cars, believe they are entitled to maintain course and speed regardless of everyone else.

 

[moonbogg]

People say the OP makes no sense, but it does, of course. There is a reason I italicized "generally speaking". Different drivers have different attitudes on the road. In a situation where someone could either speed up or slow down, there are childish drivers who always speed up, even if it risks an accident, because they refuse to let someone go in front of them. I used to be one when I was younger.
Now, I always slow down and just let them merge over. I feel no need to floor my vehicle just to get in front of someone. Its really funny when both drives slow down. They stay parallel and almost come to a complete halt, fucking parking their cars on the freeway because they are both too scared to go ahead out of fear of cutting the other person off and getting shot, bleeding out and dying right there on the freeway.
This is California after all.

 

[moonbogg]

It is an alien concept. People, especially in cars, believe they are entitled to maintain course and speed regardless of everyone else.

Yep, exactly. Here in CA, people will maintain course and speed and watch you run right off an overpass, crash, burn and die in a fire. I promise you, it wouldn't bother them.

 

[NoCreativity]

I will pick a spot and go for it whether it be sped up or slow down since it's my responsibility to merge. Unlike an increasing number of people I see, I don't have to be that extra car length ahead at any cost and I also look for an opening prior to the merge point.

 

[Newbian]

It depends if you are in the lane that's being merged into or you are merging.

It's up to the person merging to do this unless it's heavy traffic and it can be a issue.

 

[cbrunny]

The question in more detail is, generally speaking, any time you are driving and you will soon occupy the same space with another vehicle (crash) unless one of you speed up or slows down to let the other guy get in line, which do you do? Are you the one who speeds up to get in front, or do you slow down and let them go in front?

I don't understand the question.

If I am driving down the freeway in the right lane and I pass an on-ramp with cars travelling down, I shift into the left lane so the car can get over.

If I am driving down the freeway in the right lane and I pass an on-ramp with cars travelling down and I can't get into the left lane, I continue at my current speed since the onus is on the merger to make a safe transition.

If conditions are poor, I am always more cautious and will drive slower.

I would never ever speed up to "let" someone in behind me.

In congestion while travelling slowly, if I am in the right lane and passing an on-ramp with cars travelling down, I leave space between myself and the car in front.

Regardless of anything, if all else fails, it is 100% the onus of the person who is merging onto a freeway, into traffic, or onto an exit to do it safely. This rule has no exception and is without fail.

 

[Fritzo]

I do whatever it takes to let someone in. I'm nice like that.

 

[poofyhairguy]

They stay parallel and almost come to a complete halt, fucking parking their cars on the freeway

When that happens I just always assume its an old person that got overwhelmed. Very dangerous, I hate freeway parkers as then the traffic flows around them.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

It completely depends on traffic and how the other cars are behaving/driving...

 

[feralkid]

I don't understand the question.

If I am driving down the freeway in the right lane and I pass an on-ramp with cars travelling down, I shift into the left lane so the car can get over.

If I am driving down the freeway in the right lane and I pass an on-ramp with cars travelling down and I can't get into the left lane, I continue at my current speed since the onus is on the merger to make a safe transition.

If conditions are poor, I am always more cautious and will drive slower.

I would never ever speed up to "let" someone in behind me.

In congestion while travelling slowly, if I am in the right lane and passing an on-ramp with cars travelling down, I leave space between myself and the car in front.

Regardless of anything, if all else fails, it is 100% the onus of the person who is merging onto a freeway, into traffic, or onto an exit to do it safely. This rule has no exception and is without fail.

Yes, there is an exception, it is called "courtesy". Try it sometime. People will love you for it, and you may even live longer.


Perhaps you've heard the phrase? "It doesn't matter who is right, it only matters who is left".


Happy Motoring!






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[nageov3t]

if the other driver is obviously an asshole who feels comfortable putting his safety and car at risk just to get to his destination 5 seconds sooner, then I'll brake and let the asshole through... I'm not going to let my car get wrecked just because I technically had the right of way.

 

[cbrunny]

Yes, there is an exception, it is called "courtesy". Try it sometime. People will love you for it, and you may even live longer.

Courtesy is not an exception - at least not in the way that I mean in my above post. I consider myself a courteous driver, but if for some reason I can't be courteous (e.g. conditions, traffic, etc.) then I don't concern myself with what is someone else's responsibility. When I can reasonably and safely do something courteous that allows someone to merge, I do it.

 

[Newell Steamer]

It depends.

If the lane I am going to merge with will have a car in the space I am going to move into - I wait. But,I keep the same speed.

If the lane I am going to merge with has a car that doesn't look like it will be in the space I am going to move into - I speed up a little (provided no one is in front me) to give that car some space.

I would not want to slow down, it could screw up the flow of the traffic behind me. So, for the most part, I keep it the same.

 

[SP33Demon]

if the other driver is obviously an asshole who feels comfortable putting his safety and car at risk just to get to his destination 5 seconds sooner, then I'll brake and let the asshole through... I'm not going to let my car get wrecked just because I technically had the right of way.

That's a good point, I do the same.

If traffic isn't moving, I'll stay in the merge lane all the way to the end and merge when forced to.

If traffic is flowing fast enough to where going all the way to the end of the merge lane wouldn't net much, I just merge in as soon as possible.

If people are merging into my lane, then treat it like a zipper - every other car merges in.

Other tricks to beat traffic: If the merge lane goes on for a long way, then I'll sometimes treat this as a passing lane if I'm in a hurry and traffic is at a snail's pace. Some may consider it a dick move, but it can literally save 5-10 minutes to get past some tractor trailer doing 30mph and jamming all of traffic.

 

[smackababy]

if the other driver is obviously an asshole who feels comfortable putting his safety and car at risk just to get to his destination 5 seconds sooner, then I'll brake and let the asshole through... I'm not going to let my car get wrecked just because I technically had the right of way.

I always assume other drivers either don't see me or are too dumb to give a shit. I adjust what I do (speed up / slow down) based on what I determine to be the safest course of action. Generally, it is slow down, but that doesn't bother me. If I see them notice me and start to react in some way (speed up / slow down), I will adjust what I am doing to accommodate that.