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

[Linflas]

If possible I move to the next lane otherwise I speed up so I don't block them yet I am not behind them because I don't know if they are going to be slow or "go with the flow". If either of those are not possible I slow down and let them in.

 

[OverVolt]

If possible I move to the next lane otherwise I speed up so I don't block them yet I am not behind them because I don't know if they are going to be slow or "go with the flow". If either of those are not possible I slow down and let them in.

Is your merge like like half a mile or something?

 

[William Gaatjes]

Neither of the options. I adjust the speed of my car to match that of the traffic. Then i merge.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

Its safe to assume that if you don't live in CA or NY, then you don't know shit about driving with other cars on the road. In other states, all you have to do to figure how long it will take to get somewhere is divide distance by MPH of the posted speed limits.

if it's deadlocked you definitely merge as late as possible. merging early is just going to make traffic even worse behind you. you really shouldn't be letting people merge early. we're talking about one of those zipper merge type roads.

if it's something like a side street onto the main road, you might let them in if it's heavy traffic. otherwise they need to slow down or even stop and wait for it to be safe to merge. if you slow down too much it's just going to cause traffic behind you. sometime's if i see a merge coming up and i see a guy might have a chance to merge in front of me i'll lay off the gas a little bit to give him a window to merge. i'm not braking.

 

[jlee]

Its safe to assume that if you don't live in CA or NY, then you don't know shit about driving with other cars on the road. In other states, all you have to do to figure how long it will take to get somewhere is divide distance by MPH of the posted speed limits.

I take it you've never been to Boston or Orlando.

 

[kt]

I take it you've never been to Boston or Orlando.

<Looks up top 10 US cities with worst traffic...>

http://time.com/2849442/worst-traffic/

Boston or Orlando no where to be found in top 10 list...while CA has 3 cities (LA, SF, SJ) in the top 10!

Orlando has all the old people and Boston has all the d-bags, so I will give you that.

 

[Linux23]

I gun it until I beat the asshole who won't move over so I can get on the friggin highway!!!! I have the right of way.

 

[blackdogdeek]

My chauffeur said when we take the Bentley we always speed up and pass whoever is already in the lane which we want to enter.

 

[moonbogg]

My chauffeur said when we take the Bentley we always speed up and pass whoever is already in the lane which we want to enter.

You take the common roads with the working people? God, I hope you wash your tires after.

 

[blackdogdeek]

You take the common roads with the working people? God, I hope you wash your tires after.

That's why we usually take the Bentleys. They're disposable.

 

[Imp]

Variable. If I'm on the highway, I stay in the right lane when I'm lazy, left lane when I feel like taking the lead and get tired of following the dump truck doing 10 under the limit -- or 50 under going up the hill.

Don't usually move over if it's busy and I'm in the right lane, I read the traffic in the speed-change lane, then usually let them merge in ahead of me, let them take the lead, others fall in behind me.

 

[alkemyst]

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.

Saw this today. Guy totally passed, cut off and went through the 'no mans zone' of an off ramp because despite no one being behind the guy to his right and even though he was already behind him in the left lane, he had to prove something and pass at 80mph+ in a 65mph zone to be in front.

 

[alkemyst]

It depends...what sucks is when the idiot to the left starts pacing you and whether you speed up or down he matches it.

 

[moonbogg]

It depends...what sucks is when the idiot to the left starts pacing you and whether you speed up or down he matches it.

Yep. Happens all the time. When they do that, I look over at them and try to understand what is going through their heads. What are they thinking, feeling etc? I am curious about these odd creatures.

 

[Harrod]

I speed up to merge, and I usually move over if there is room for other cars to merge into traffic. I will rarely slow down for a car to merge infront of me, unless traffic is at a stop of the freeway.

 

[Meghan54]

I take it you've never been to Boston or Orlando.

I have, recently even.....and neither Boston nor Orlando suffer from the same crappy traffic/driving as NYC, the D.C. area, or even Atlanta.

Granted, I've heard CA's traffic absolutely blows and I defer to that...too many people have said the same over decades to be anything but true. But to equate Boston or Orlando to NYC, D.C. or even ATL in the last decade or so is just laughable. I swear anyone that complains about Boston's traffic hasn't driven where it's really bad.

 

[alkemyst]

Yeah, ATL is brain damage.

Much worse than most places I have driven. Definitely worse than typical S. Florida driving.

However, the big risk in S. Florida is only 1 in 3 have insurance.

 

[alkemyst]

Yep. Happens all the time. When they do that, I look over at them and try to understand what is going through their heads. What are they thinking, feeling etc? I am curious about these odd creatures.

Same mentality as when I was trying to merge to the right because a trooper was coming up with lights on in the left lane. He totally sped up and blocked me from merging until the cop got on his squawk box and yelled "LET HIM OVER!"

Freaking asshole syndrome.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I merge correctly. If the car in front me merged in front, then I will speed up, if the car behind me merged in back, then I will slow down, always go for proper zipper formation.

 

[smackababy]

Same mentality as when I was trying to merge to the right because a trooper was coming up with lights on in the left lane. He totally sped up and blocked me from merging until the cop got on his squawk box and yelled "LET HIM OVER!"

Freaking asshole syndrome.

What a cockknocker. The cop should have had another come up and ticket that idiot.

 

[moonbogg]

Same mentality as when I was trying to merge to the right because a trooper was coming up with lights on in the left lane. He totally sped up and blocked me from merging until the cop got on his squawk box and yelled "LET HIM OVER!"

Freaking asshole syndrome.

That shit is ridiculous. People do it just because they are angry and hate life. These are the same people that, the moment they get home, they promptly kick the dog.

 

[JEDIYoda]

What`s all the fuss??
I wake up in the morning, have my coffee and as soon as the Helicopter lands I make my way to the Helicopter and it takes me to work.......so what`s all this fuss about merging???

 

[JEDIYoda]

bump----I am bored...

 

[twinrider1]

If I am moving to a lower mph area, I slow down. If I am moving to a higher mph area, I speed up. So if I'm getting off the freeway and another guy is getting on, I slow down to feed in behind him. No sense in me racing to get ahead of him just to have to brake harder in the off ramp. If I'm getting onto the freeway, I speed up. Doesn't make sense to slow down to merge and then be ON the freeway at too slow a speed.

Now, if I'm on the freeway and staying on the freeway, I maintain my speed. It is the job of the merger to adjust his speed. He should be sizing up his spot well before he gets there and already have his speed adjusted to merge seamlessly. People that just drive to the end of the on ramp and THEN look for a spot should be spayed/neutered.

 

[TheVrolok]

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.

Bingo. In a slightly different vein, having taken a recent 450 mile round trip, the thing that makes me the most crazy (recently) is when I'm leaving a bit of space between myself and the car in front me me (say 2-3 car lengths - so I'm really still tailgating to some degree) and apparently that's a single to other drives that, "Hey, here's a place I could put my car instead!" So there are constantly people merging into that space and ending up 6 feet in front of my car. It's as if leaving any more than a single car length between is inviting another motorist in.