Why do some drivers slow down, or stay slow, or even stop, before merging onto a freeway from an interchange or onramp?

They have never been taught the basket-weaving theory of merging, and they are frightened.

@marinelife , I have never been taught the basket weave understanding of merging either. But I know exactly what it is, because through observation I figured it out, and I’ve been practicing it myself for decades now.

What’s wrong with those who cannot observe such a simple thing?

Perhaps the answer is in the 2nd part of your answer: the fact they are frightened.

But as adults, I expect more of them.

Because they’re scared, horrible drivers who shouldn’t be allowed on our motorways.

That should be part of the drivers license tests. Of course, test givers don’t want to take their lives in their hands.

The truth is that they want to be rear-ended. They are insurance fraud people, trying to get into accidents. There is a conspiracy here, I believe.

We have those here on one of the busier roads in town. We curse and scream, but what can we do?

A lot of merge lanes into high speed highways have stop signs and traffic lights, not just “the south”. And if that’s where people learned to drive, or if they’re entering heavy traffic around blind curves, or Jersey barriers, or into bright sunlight (or rain, or other obstacles to good vision) then it’s perfectly understandable—and necessary to not exceed a safe speed. I agree that “people with experience” shouldn’t do that, but not everyone has your experience. You need to make allowances for other people’s capabilities and experience.

Also, a lot of merge lanes actually have posted speed limits. It’s sometimes hard to know when one can “get up to speed” after passing a sign on an entrance ramp that states “40 MPH”.

I travel 100 miles round trip on the interstate every day, and I see this a lot, but I have to say that the overwhelming majority of the time it is not the fault of the driver trying to merge. What they are doing is reacting to the fact that it has become standard practice for horrible drivers in the right lane to refuse to get in the left hand lane when passing an on-ramp to allow the people on the on-ramp to merge onto the interstate. Do people not realize that when you approach an on-ramp and see traffic that needs to merge in, you are supposed to get over?

Of course, sometimes, it’s not even the person in the right hand lane’s fault. I can think of about a million times that I’ve been in the right lane, come up to an on-ramp where people needed to merge, put on my turn signal to get in the left hand lane and been blocked. There are two types of these blockers: The first is someone who is just hanging out in the left lane rather than passing. The second, more obnoxious one is the person who is in the left hand lane but far enough behind me that I have room to get over. However, as soon as I turn on my turn indicator signaling my intentions, they rush up to pass me, getting even with my car just as I get to the on-ramp because God forbid I get in front of them for the few seconds it takes for me to momentarily to allow traffic to merge and then get back in the right hand lane after I’ve cleared the on-ramp.

I’ve seen people trying to merge get run off the interstate and onto the shoulder numerous times and had it happen to me, due to just this type of behavior. No wonder people are reluctant to reach full speed to merge. You never know when some idiot won’t let you on and you’ll end up run off onto the shoulder or have to slam on your brakes at the top of the ramp.

@CyanoticWasp, the obstacles you mentioned are all cause for going slower. But those types of obstacles would have ALREADY caused the general traffic to be slower, thus the merge-speed of the on-comers should be naturally slower.

But there’s NEVER a reason for an oncoming merger to be driving at a speed slower than that of the freeway, unless the driver was hindered by a Stop Meter. To do so is dangerous, whether that person is an experienced driver or not.

If a freeway is moving at 65 MPH in the right lane, and the Merging car stops or slows down before merging… He’ll end up entering a 65 MPH zone at 30 MPH…. VERY dangerous for everyone. An intelligent driver would already be doing 65 by the time he merges. Or even faster, if he notices a clear space in the moment, but with an approaching convoy from behind.

@diavolobella You can’t move into the left lane here. That lane is already full. Right lane people have to see the merger coming and leave a space for them to fit in. Granted, some assholes won’t leave that space, but if you come to a stop at the end of the on-ramp, it could be minutes before you have enough space to speed up and get on.

@diavolobella, the phenomenon you mentioned of egocentric drivers speeding up as you try to merge is real.

But intelligent drivers on most freeways can using their own sense of timing to be in front of these types of people, or behind them. There’s no reason to go slow on an onramp because of this.

Like I said, I’m not talking about when the freeway is jammed. The rules change during jams.

@wundayatta I don’t know where “here” is, but the traffic laws where I am state that you are to drive in the right hand lane, unless you are passing slower traffic or moving over to allow traffic to merge onto the roadway. So, the left lane isn’t full (or should not be). Once you pass the on-ramp and it is clear for you to do so, you get back in the right hand lane.

@Kraigmo I respectfully disagree. If you are driving in the right hand lane, there is no way to read the mind of the person in the left hand lane four car lengths behind you and know in advance that they are “one of these types” and are going to immediately speed up and block you from getting over as soon as you turn on your turn indicator. In addition, there is ample reason to go slow on the on-ramp if you can clearly see that drivers in the right lane are either unable or unwilling to let you merge. Are you suggesting that you should just speed up to 70 mph and pray you don’t crash into the side of one of the cars that is in the right lane or die as you go flying off the shoulder of the road at full speed? Even the most intelligent driver in the world can’t control the bad driving of others on the road. If there is obviously nowhere for you to go at the end of an entrance ramp, you’d have to be insane to go flying up it at full speed. You have no choice but to slow down to squeeze in if a space opens up or, if no one will let you in, you’ll have to stop at the end of the ramp unless you have a death wish or don’t mind traveling at 70 mph on the shoulder of the road.

People merging onto a road will always be, to a great extent, at the mercy of those already on it. That is why it behooves everyone to follow the rules of the road, whether you are letting someone on or the person trying to get on.

The optimum scenario is onramp traffic merges at posted freeway speed into the first lane that other drivers have made an effort to safely clear. Some drivers just sit there knowing cars are merging but they don’t care if they can safely move over to the left or not. Bastards.

@Neizvestnaya You just said so succinctly what it took me forever to try to say. Thank you.

@diavolobella , the situation you describe only happens in heavy traffic. There’s always plenty of room to merge if the freeway’s not jammed. I’ve been merging at high speeds safely for 20 years. I’ve never had a close call. (But I’ve seen close calls caused by slow drivers on the onramp, that’s for sure).

@Kraigmo As I said, I drive a 100 mile round trip every day from my home to Nashville, Tennessee. I do not hit heavy traffic until I’m within five miles of the city, yet I frequently see this happen so perhaps your experience is different, but my is just as valid. It doesn’t “only” happen in heavy traffic. It happens whenever people on the roadway decide to disregard the law and the safety of those trying to merge, even when they have ample opportunity and space to get out of their way. I’ve been driving for 31 years, but this phenomenon did not become so prevalent until the last decade or so. I think it directly relates to the disappearance of driver’s education programs in schools and the increase in aggressive driving in general.

The law in my state is clear and flatly states that people merging must give the right of way to those already on the road – so it they will not let you merge in, you are at their mercy. If you are merging and collide with another car already on the highway, you will be found liable. I’ve worked on enough accident cases in my career to know.

“Upon entering the interstate on-ramp, stay to the right and increase your speed in
the acceleration lane/entrance ramp. Use the ramp to reach interstate speed so you can merge smoothly into the travel lane when the way is clear. Be sure to give the proper left turn signal to indicate your need to enter the traffic lane. *Drivers already on the interstate should, for their own safety, make allowance for vehicles attempting to enter. It is your
responsibility to yield the right-of-way to other cars on the interstate.*

Some drivers when merging are very nervous and go too slowly. I sometimes slow down myself to let them merge and when they still don’t merge I flash my lights to say go on I’ve seen you. Sometimes this panics them even more and they go even slower until we are both hardly moving.

I wonder sometimes how many of the people that @flutherother refers to [those that are being allowed to merge but seem very afraid to do so] are newly licensed teens or elderly people. I’ve often thought it would be a good idea if cars with new drivers in them had signs on them, like the “student driver” signs. “Newbie at the wheel?” LOL

@flutherother , I used to do that too. Now I just don’t even let them on if they aren’t assertive enough to speed up and move in. (But I do indeed leave them enough room, should they want to take the initiative).

@Kraigmo Probably safer to keep going at a steady pace. It just takes one person behind you to lose concentration to cause an accident.

One fact has been overlooked in your question and other answers. its small engine cars. if the traffic is heavy, a defensive driver has to plan his move, before implementing it. he know his vehicles capabilities. a V-6 or V-8 engine has much more horsepower that a 4 cyliner engine. so, all of the time, its not just the driver, its what he is driving.

Also, i remember this woman came to me to complain that cars were running a certain yield sign. i tried to tell her that a yield sign is not a stop sign. she never understood it.

@john65pennington, yes this is a good point too. When I see a truck or VW in front of me on an onramp… then I DO slow down. It’s not ideal for merging, but in the case where there’s a slow car or truck in front, it’s best to slow down to create a space that allows for weaving.

But if that car in front of me is just going slow out of stupidity (it’s so obvious if it’s a high powered car on an onramp that is declining), then it’s time for me to merge quick, speed up, and then prevent that car from even entering the freeway, thus doing a favor for everyone on the freeway.

Such a maneuver only works when the merge lane becomes an offramp ahead

They’re scared, and as a result they damn near cause their fears to become reality. It’s no different than changing lanes, really. Assuming you get a decent runway.

Just remember, in the event of an accident, the vehicle ahead of you has the right a way.

@john65pennington So, uh, if I merge and the guy hits my rear fender, I win?

I have a blind merge that I take home from work every day. There is about 400’ of roadway between two bridges. You cannot see the freeway from the ramp until you are <200 ft from the flow of traffic. Locals know to look for merging traffic from the freeway, but most of them don’t. If you get up to speed and there is someone in the driving lane that can’t or won’t let you merge, you are gonna hit the bridge abutment if it is at all slick.

I just pretend my balls are actually much larger than they actually are and hit the ramp accelerating to near-interstate speed. Where I live, 90% of the time, whenever your merge-in lane ends, there won’t be anyone there, and this is probably the case for many other non-metro-region freeway intersections. If there is someone there, I’d just slow down because, after giving a moment’s thought to this subject, I’ve realized that the people on the freeway aren’t going to slow down for you as you merge unless it’s necessary for avoiding an accident not just because it’s the law according to @john65pennington, but because it seems that more of the disrespectful bunch winds up on the freeway instead of regularly-controlled roadways. They might also be using a phone or be old.

Lemme know if I’m getting something wrong, I’m 15 if you remember and I’d appreciate a correction on this topic.

@Dutchess_III Probably only if you’ve been on the freeway lane for a few moments and the driver behind doesn’t acknowledge you have appeared.

@Fred931 Being 15 then, I have to say in the case of the kind of wreck I spoke of, tongue-in-cheek, it would be quite obvious that I had cut the other person off while trying to merge. Whether they had the room, or the chance, or knew that they needed to move over would probably never be known. Just keep it safe, and when you notice that someone is trying to merge, MTFO! “Making a point” is always the wrong thing to do at 70 mph.

@Kraigmo I have seen the scenario that @diavolobella describes happen with just 3 cars on the freeway here within a mile of the ramp. One numbnuts in the left lane, one in the right lane and the one trying to merge.

Too many people drive with no thought to what they’re doing or what’s going on around them….and when something happens that startles them it’s always the other guys fault.

Dutchess, no thats not it. if two vehicles are attempting to merge onto the interstate, one behind the other and the first car is a little slower, coming around from behind and striking the first vehicle, is the last vehicles fault. this is why rear end collisions are the number cause of traffic accidents.

I respect other drivers, but some drivers do not return the favor. here is an example:

In Kentucky, the drivers only know one speed and thats sloooooooooow.

I was behind a farm truck the other day. the speed limit was 55 mph. he thought he was in a school zone, going 15 mph. we could not pass, because of the double yellow line and a hill. we were stuck. this lasted for about a mile. yes, my blood pressure rose to the moon, but thank goodness my wife talked me into keeping my cool. i am a leveled-headed person, but this person was going to cause an accident because of impeding traffic. if a persons car cannot at least go the speed limit, they need to park it and ride a bus.

@john65pennington I know. I was being facetious when I said “So, uh, if I merge and the guy hits my rear fender, I win?” I was talking about, “So, if I get to merging and a car already on the interstate hits my rear fend, it isn’t my fault?” I was joking.

But in the case of a rear-end accident I stand with “Too many people drive with no thought to what they’re doing or what’s going on around them….and when something happens that startles them it’s always the other guy’s fault.”

I really wish someone would come up with a cost effective “virtual reality” driving test that people (especially teens and older drivers) would have to take before they could get their license or be re-licensed.

From my own experience what is being overlooked here is the fact that a large majority of drivers travel well above the speed limit. I’ve had quite a few close calls merging onto highways because of this. In many of these 65 mile per hour zones most drivers seem to travel at least 20 to 40 miles per hour faster then the posted speed limit. It can be hard to tell how fast the other drivers are going. You think it’s safe to merge then boom they nearly hit you because they are driving so fast. Most people (at least in my area) drive well above the posted speed limits. I would rather be careful than be on the front page news. I do not count on other drivers to do the right thing anymore, too many close calls.

Merging onto highways should be a simple process if more drivers stayed within the posted speed limits. Many drivers on top of that stay in the right lane anyway while driving well above the speed limit.

@Paradox , if people are speeding that much, it will be safer of you to enter the freeway at 85 mph. (Or whatever they’re doing in your area). The faster the traffic, the safer it is to merge at high-speed, and the more dangerous it is to merge at a low-speed. The greater the disparity between your speed and the freeway’s speed, the greater the danger. So if you wanna be safer than sorry, press that gas pedal and zoom into the stream.

In Seattle, it’s often because of people with poor spatial skills not grasping the concept of relative speeds as it pertains to large objects and/or a solipsistic belief that they are the only cars on the road, as these same people often merge into the middle lane ASAP regardless of whether there is already a car there or not
That is not counting the right lane being clogged with people trying to get off at the next exit a couple of miles ahead or who aren’t daring enough to dart out in front of the people in the middle lane who are going at least 20 MPH faster or the rush hour “metered traffic” when the non-carpool lane gets a traffic light with a “one car per green” law.

In Eastern MA, it’s often because the other drivers are intentionally blocking you and thus leaving you no way to merge and nowhere to go when the lane ends; they can be dangerously rude there.

@john65pennington I drive a car that had only 70 HP a quarter of a century ago, and probably less now. When it was new, it could do 0–60 in about 14.5 seconds (comparable to a Smart ForTwo) and 60–0 in 179 feet on dry pavement with a professional driver (comparable to a Chevy 1-ton pickup) so I know all too well about having to plan my moves. Sometimes I think the only reason I don’t get in more trouble is that the big skull on my hood intimidates people out of cutting me off.
I wonder how much of the jackassery on our roads has to do with the fact that modern cars perform better than the souped-up hot rods of your youth. Most cars nowadays can do 0–60 in under 8 second with ease and do a ¼-mile run in the time it takes me to hit highway speeds, stop in under 150 feet even on slippery roads, and exceed 0.8 lateral Gs in cornering; notably better than cars made in 1985, and far better than 1965.

@Paradox I have to side with @Kraigmo here. Even my slow-as-molasses Corolla can hit the same speeds as the cars in the right lane before the onramp lane ends and merges, even when that speed is 70MPH.
IMAO, if you can’t judge the speeds of the cars around you then maybe you shouldn’t have a license in the first place. Other nations have no issues with roads that don’t even have speed limits, but they also have stricter licensing requirements and thus their drivers are overall better in things such as situational awareness, judging relative speeds, and driving within the performance limits of their vehicle.