This is one of my pet peeves too. My dad does this all the time which really scares me. He's hellbent on the idea that flooring it or anything close is REALLY bad for the engine.
When I'm behind someone like that I just inch up to them, put my front bumper on their rear bumper, and floor it.
When I'm behind someone like that I just inch up to them, put my front bumper on their rear bumper, and floor it.
The purpose of the ramp is to get up to a speed that matches the flow of traffic on the main road. Matching speed allows safe merging. There can be no denying that trying to join the main carriageway at 30 mph when the traffic flow is 60 mph is highly dangerous.
However, the traffic on the main carriageway has the right of way, and traffic merging MUST yield to traffic that is already on the main carriagway. If you are preparing to join the main carriageway but traffic speed and heavy volume prevent you from finding a space, then you MUST slow down or stop. If you do stop at the merge line, then when you do join it must be with exceptional care, during a suitably large gap in traffic.
This should not be a frequent occurance, as in most cases you should have adequate warning that a merge will be difficult and be able to find a suitable space. However, in 10 years, I have once had to perform this maneouvre.
What I have seen several times, and is exceptionally dangerous, is some idiot realise that they cannot join and then drive onto the shoulder to try and join further up. The shoulder is only for emergency use - careering down it at 70 mph while looking to join the main carriageway is crazy - because the shoulder is the one place on a highway where you can EXPECT there to be stationary vehicles.
Of course, even I'm boggled by the stupidity shown by some drivers - as illustrated by this quote taken from earlier in the thread.
To deliberately drive off road, then drive down the emergency lane (cutting in front of someone who is obviously a poor driver) is lunacy. You put yourself and your vehicle at risk by driving in unpredicatable conditions, and you perform a dangerous manoeuvre in front of an unskilled driver - potentially inducing them to make a critical mistake. All because of your impatience and arrogance.
What you should have done as soon as you realised that the driver in front was incompetant and trying to join at low speed, was to slow down and give them space to join. This will also give you space to accelerate up to a safe joining speed, when you decide to begin this maneouvre. You reduce the pressure on the poor driver, you provide a safety margin for yourself incase they cause an accident, and you provide opportunity to perform the manouevre safely yourself.
However, the traffic on the main carriageway has the right of way, and traffic merging MUST yield to traffic that is already on the main carriagway. If you are preparing to join the main carriageway but traffic speed and heavy volume prevent you from finding a space, then you MUST slow down or stop. If you do stop at the merge line, then when you do join it must be with exceptional care, during a suitably large gap in traffic.
This should not be a frequent occurance, as in most cases you should have adequate warning that a merge will be difficult and be able to find a suitable space. However, in 10 years, I have once had to perform this maneouvre.
What I have seen several times, and is exceptionally dangerous, is some idiot realise that they cannot join and then drive onto the shoulder to try and join further up. The shoulder is only for emergency use - careering down it at 70 mph while looking to join the main carriageway is crazy - because the shoulder is the one place on a highway where you can EXPECT there to be stationary vehicles.
Of course, even I'm boggled by the stupidity shown by some drivers - as illustrated by this quote taken from earlier in the thread.
To deliberately drive off road, then drive down the emergency lane (cutting in front of someone who is obviously a poor driver) is lunacy. You put yourself and your vehicle at risk by driving in unpredicatable conditions, and you perform a dangerous manoeuvre in front of an unskilled driver - potentially inducing them to make a critical mistake. All because of your impatience and arrogance.
What you should have done as soon as you realised that the driver in front was incompetant and trying to join at low speed, was to slow down and give them space to join. This will also give you space to accelerate up to a safe joining speed, when you decide to begin this maneouvre. You reduce the pressure on the poor driver, you provide a safety margin for yourself incase they cause an accident, and you provide opportunity to perform the manouevre safely yourself.
In PA, it's the LAW to STOP on the onramp. I've got this nasty left-hand-blind-onramp-with-a-stopsign-in-a-construction-zone thing on my daily commute. Needless to say, I have a permanent detour around that stretch of highway. Most other ramps are similarly equipped with no merge lane and a stop sign.
And chances are, OP, you're right - she was just learning to drive. A lot of girls seem to have SEVERE issues with teh highway the first 3000 times they do it. My old driving school, they'd take you out to an interchange and you'd just do laps up and down the ramps for 2hrs or until they figured you were ready for actual highway driving.
when I have to merge on the highway, I floor it so I can get to 60mph+ asap.
well, shouldn't the OP change to the middle of left lane when there is a merge ahead? that's what I do, drive on the left lane when there is an extrance.
well, shouldn't the OP change to the middle of left lane when there is a merge ahead? that's what I do, drive on the left lane when there is an extrance.
I remember in drivers ed, the first time they took us out onto the highway. The drivers ed dude just stomps on the gas pedal and goes "this is how you get on the highway". It was just full out 100% acceleration. Of course, drivers ed cars are crap, but I really think that is a necessary way to learn. I think there are a lot of people who still don't understand that the on ramp is where you attempt to match the speed of the lane you are entering so that you don't cause a massive pile up.
Here in the midwest, you can get ticketed for changing into the left lane to let traffic from the on ramp merge. (my uncle got that ticket near KC) and i am told it's the same here in Okie. I do have a feeling that anyone who doesn't speed up on the onramp will be posting or even reading this post, why, because they are still stopped on f***ing onramp because traffic is too "fast" for them.
Where I live, the speed limit for getting around town is 40, however, people rarely get above 30. I wanted to kill this Surburban the other day when the rain was coming in waves, he turned in front of me without his blinker and no brake lights. I came within inches of nailing the bas**rd. People really need to check their blinker fluid.
Where I live, the speed limit for getting around town is 40, however, people rarely get above 30. I wanted to kill this Surburban the other day when the rain was coming in waves, he turned in front of me without his blinker and no brake lights. I came within inches of nailing the bas**rd. People really need to check their blinker fluid.
Thats just fvcked up....the cop that issued the ticket is stupid. I thought people did that to avoid slowing down the flow of traffic...usually do it most of the time!
If she really was learning how to drive, that fact in and of itself wasn't so bad; everybody has to learn at some point, and I can sympathize to some extent. Learning to drive scared the daylights out of me. Driving still does scare me somewhat if I'm in unfamiliar territory. But that's all beside the point. The problem, IMO, was her choice of location. If I EVER have to teach somebody to drive around here, I'm going to go well outtside the 270 loop. Anything inside is too close to the city, too busy, and therefore too dangerous.
Nate
He's referring to the dumb driver. He's saying that not only is the guy a tool, but he's the whole tool-box.
When my family went on vacation to the east coast, we found that people actually did stop on the on-ramp and look for an opening. We were thoroughly confused about why until se walked through a mall. Seriously, no offense to you east-coasters, but since people tend to drive the way they walk, it's a good thing they stop on the ramps. If you get in someone's way in the mall you will be trampled. I would never expect those people to let me merge on a highway.
Here in Louisville, I frequent a highway which has a merge-ramp with a fvcking YIELD sign at the end of it.
This isn't one of those super-small ramps where you have like 8.3 feet to merge, it's actually quite longer (and more straight) than your average ramp. So people drive on it, accelerating up to ~55-60, and then they sometimes have to come to a COMPLETE stop because they see the stupid ass yield sign.
Most exciting part of my work day.
No reason why people shouldn't be able to just merge like normal. People on the highway right lane can get over in plenty of time. Once these people actually get on the highway, they start at about 15 MPH. So lethal.
This isn't one of those super-small ramps where you have like 8.3 feet to merge, it's actually quite longer (and more straight) than your average ramp. So people drive on it, accelerating up to ~55-60, and then they sometimes have to come to a COMPLETE stop because they see the stupid ass yield sign.
Most exciting part of my work day.
No reason why people shouldn't be able to just merge like normal. People on the highway right lane can get over in plenty of time. Once these people actually get on the highway, they start at about 15 MPH. So lethal.
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