Why do people never accelerate past about 40 when merging?

[AstroManLuca]

This seems to be one of the most widespread driving stupidities I encounter. Other things people do while driving occasionally bother me, but this one is by far the worst because it happens every time I merge onto the highway. I merge onto the highway as part of my commute every morning and whenever I happen to be first in line, the person behind me is always way, WAY back by the time I merge.

I'm not even asking people to exceed the speed limit. I just wish they'd get to 50 or 55 by the time they merge, so they're at least close to matching speed with traffic. But every morning, when I commute, the person in front of me has never gotten past 45 before attempting to merge. It's dangerous and causes delays as the people in the right lane attempt to move over or slow way down to make room. I literally cannot remember the last time someone DIDN'T do this.

And I know that I'm doing it right because when someone posted that driving aptitude quiz a few weeks ago, it said you're supposed to be going about the same speed as the surrounding traffic when you merge. That was the correct answer to the question, while one of the wrong choices was "10 mph slower than everyone else."

 

[us3rnotfound]

Probably because they are receiving roadhead and lose concentration.

 

[Linflas]

If you get to the bottom of this maybe you can investigate why assholes in trucks (99% of the time some POS dump truck or something similar, not an 18 wheeler) need to move into the left lane when approaching a traffic light (not making a left turn) when they know they will hold up all the traffic behind them?

 

[SonnyDaze]

they're skeered

 

[meltdown75]

i usually do merge faster than 40, unless i see you coming.

 

[joesmoke]

this is at the top of the annoying list, right above braking before an offramp/turn lane and not realizing youre at a 2 car per light onramp meter

 

[oiprocs]

Every morning my friend, every morning. I drive the freeways and I see this and it bugs me too.

If I'm in the far right lane, I don't switch out at all. Either they hit me, they speed up, or they slow down even further.

How can the DMV give them a license when they can't remember that they have to be at or above the freeway speed?

 

[olds]

Simple. They are idiots and don't know that the correct term for an on ramp is "acceleration ramp".

 

[glenn beck]

I love when the people stop to merge that is always fun

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

what's dumber is stop signs at on ramps.

 

[MotF Bane]

I think of on ramps as launch ramps, and treat them accordingly.

 

[SSSnail]

Because there are people out there that think 75 BHP is good enough and you don't need more than that, even if it takes them 2 weeks to accelerate to the desired speed, more than 75 BHP is a waste to them.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: SSSnail
Because there are people out there that think 75 BHP is good enough and you don't need more than that, even if it takes them 2 weeks to accelerate to the desired speed, more than 75 BHP is a waste to them.

So says SuperSonicSnail...

:laugh:

 

[SSSnail]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: SSSnail
Because there are people out there that think 75 BHP is good enough and you don't need more than that, even if it takes them 2 weeks to accelerate to the desired speed, more than 75 BHP is a waste to them.

So says SuperSonicSnail...

:laugh:

Yes, because I'm the fastest of the snails.

 

[MovingTarget]

...because a 3cylinder Geo Metro cannot go any faster uphill without a good tailwind.

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: SSSnail
Because there are people out there that think 75 BHP is good enough and you don't need more than that, even if it takes them 2 weeks to accelerate to the desired speed, more than 75 BHP is a waste to them.

So says SuperSonicSnail...

:laugh:

Yes, because I'm the fastest of the snails.

I was about to make a joke about escargot but it would come out sounding gay...

 

[DingDingDao]

Originally posted by: Linflas
If you get to the bottom of this maybe you can investigate why assholes in trucks (99% of the time some POS dump truck or something similar, not an 18 wheeler) need to move into the left lane when approaching a traffic light (not making a left turn) when they know they will hold up all the traffic behind them?

While you're at it, see if you can figure these two out:

1) Prius drivers who merge on the freeway and immediately make a beeline for the far left lane, then proceed to drive at 65mph. (This might be a problem unique to California)

2) How Hummers/Escalades/Excursions/Any huge SUVs always seem to end up parked in the COMPACT parking spots, leaving little or no room for anyone to park in the adjacent spots, save a motorcycle.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: MovingTarget
...because a 3cylinder Geo Metro cannot go any faster uphill without a good tailwind.

LOL, funny thing is I'm usually driving the most underpowered vehicle of everyone stopped at the light. Everyone's going around in their BMWs and their pickup trucks and their V6 Camrys and Accords, and here I am with a 109hp Honda Fit leaving them all in the dust because I actually use my gas pedal. I don't even floor it or anything, I just accelerate quickly. Still get 32-35 mpg overall, even with a fair amount of city driving and rush hour traffic every week.

 

[CoinOperatedBoy]

Originally posted by: DingDingDao
1) Prius drivers who merge on the freeway and immediately make a beeline for the far left lane, then proceed to drive at 65mph. (This might be a problem unique to California)

These people are good-intentioned; they just don't realize until it's too late that 65MPH is the top speed of their vehicle.

 

[manowar821]

Two things that piss me off more than anything else. People who stop or go slow on merges, and people who blow through yields.

People. Are. Stupid.

Originally posted by: SSSnail
Because there are people out there that think 75 BHP is good enough and you don't need more than that, even if it takes them 2 weeks to accelerate to the desired speed, more than 75 BHP is a waste to them.

That's no excuse. My car has 80 BHP and it gets up and goes fast enough, with plenty of power to spare. People just don't know how to fucking drive, it's as simple as that.

 

[BW86]

you should see some of the on ramps by me, it's almost impossible to reach 30mph before merging on some of them

 

[nakedfrog]

I just want to see what it's like when I finally break someone.

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: SSSnail

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat

Originally posted by: SSSnail
Because there are people out there that think 75 BHP is good enough and you don't need more than that, even if it takes them 2 weeks to accelerate to the desired speed, more than 75 BHP is a waste to them.

So says SuperSonicSnail...

:laugh:

Yes, because I'm the fastest of the snails.

A challenger emerges!

WARP!!!

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: manowar821
Two things that piss me off more than anything else. People who stop or go slow on merges, and people who blow through yields.

People. Are. Stupid.

You don't technically have to even slow down for yield signs. You just have to make sure the way is clear. Most intersections I slow down, sometimes stop if necessary, but there's one on my way to work that is almost always clear AND has such good visibility that I usually don't have to slow down any more than I would if there was no sign there.

Originally posted by: BW86
you should see some of the on ramps by me, it's almost impossible to reach 30mph before merging on some of them

Are they just that short or are they the clover leaf kind? I too find it hard to get past about 40 mph before merging from a clover leaf ramp, but for straight ramps over 1,000 feet long, it's easy for even an underpowered car to reach highway speeds by the end of it.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: AstroManLuca
Everyone's going around in their BMWs and their pickup trucks and their V6 Camrys and Accords, and here I am with a 109hp Honda Fit leaving them all in the dust because I actually use my gas pedal.

In all fairness to my fellow pickup drivers, our acceleration is absolute crap. To merge at full speed on medium-length ramps we need to go pedal to the metal. It is impossible to merge at full speed on shorter ramps.