Learning to drive on the highway

The first time a new student drives on the highway is a challenge. It does not have to be a bad experience with a little preparation. I suggest you start when you expect the roads to be quiet, in good weather.

Merging. To drive on the highway you have to get out there! To merge with highway traffic the driver essentially makes a lane change at the end of the off-ramp into traffic that is already traveling on the highway.

The whole purpose of the on-ramp is to pick up speed. A merging vehicle needs to enter existing traffic at a similar speed. Merging very slowly is dangerous. It will cause a chain reaction in the traffic behind the merging vehicle and can cause both other cars and the merging car to get rear-ended at high speed.

As you enter the on-ramp you will notice the left line is yellow, and the right line (or fog line) is white. As you approach the end of the ramp, the left line turns white. This is called the acceleration point. Start to accelerate as you enter the ramp, and accelerate more as you reach the acceleration point.

Put your left signal on, and drive in the ramp until the left white line becomes broken. Start checking your left mirror to see if there are vehicles in the right lane of the highway. Once you are at the broken line check your blind spot with a fast shoulder check, scan your left mirror and merge into the moving traffic. You may want to practice this on a busy four-lane road with a higher speed limit (such as 35 mph) in a business district. This will get you comfortable being assertive as you change lanes. Do not hesitate. Learning the speed of traffic around you, beside and behind you is a learned skill, it is not something that comes immediately. Practice lane changing frequently before you attempt to merge onto the highway. The end of the on-ramp is not a good place to panic and stamp on your brake.

Once you have merged, adequate stopping distance is essential. You will be traveling at a higher rate of speed than you are used to, and it will take you longer to stop. Driving at speed is all about physics. Your momentum, the weight of the vehicle you are driving, and road conditions all come into play. I recommend five seconds stopping distance until you develop experience behind the wheel.

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