You would think by the way most people merge onto the highway that they were all driving Model-T Fords with 20 horsepower engines capable of a top speed of 45 mph.  Nearly every day of my truck driving career I am amazed by the poor merging skills exhibited by a majority of supposedly licensed drivers.

I have some very simple rules to suggest when merging onto a busy highway.  If you’re ahead of the vehicle on your left, put your foot down and stay ahead.  If you’re not ahead, back out of it a bit and fall in behind.

Here’s what happens most of the time.  I see a vehicle coming down the on-ramp ahead, so drop my speed a little to allow them to pull into traffic, which by the way is usually doing at least 60 mph.  But instead of accelerating they slow down.  Now, if I don’t want to lose my momentum, especially with a load behind me, I have to signal and look for an opening to pull into the left lane.  No sooner do I accomplish that maneuver than the merging driver tromps the fuel pedal and clears out.  Where the heck was their right foot a few moments ago?

The thing that most drivers can’t figure out, is there are two pedals involved in merging.  All you have to do is choose the right one.  The vehicle already on the highway has no obligation by law to move out of your way although most of us will if it’s safe to do so.  The full responsiblility for safe merging falls on the one coming down the ramp, so for goodness sake make the effort to learn to do it right.