Tips on how to merge and identifying similar signs

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Let’s address these signs first before we get into merging.

This sign means right lane ends ahead. If you’re in the right lane and see this sign ahead, you want to start preparing for a safe lane change. You do not want to wait until your at the tip where the right lane ends and becomes one lane unless there’s heavy traffic. Adjust your speed if needed, keeping within the speed limit.

This sign means two roads converge and merging or yielding is not required for this sign. Drivers joining this road from the right will have their own lane and merging or yielding movements are not required. You have your own lane of travel when you’re on the right.

Theses signs warns drivers there is a merge lane ahead.

How to Merge

Merging When There’s Low To Medium Traffic On The Roadway

1. The acceleration lane should be used to match the speed of traffic already on the roadway.
2. Check your rear-view and side mirror to find a safe gap to merge onto the roadway.
3. Signal to let drivers know your planning to move over.
4. Do a shoulder check to ensure there is nothing in your blind spot.
5. Merge gradually into the neighbouring lane.
6. Cancel signal.
7. Check your rear-view mirror and continue at posted speed limit.

Note: If you’re driving in a lane on the roadway with a merge ahead, it is advisable to adjust your speed to allow merging traffic to merge and/or to help them find a safe gap. This does not mean you need to slow down or speed up, just take your foot of your accelerator to accommodate for the merging traffic. If its safe you can make a lane change to the left to make it easier for the traffic to merge over.

Merging When There’s Heavy Traffic On The Roadway

Merge Like A Zipper

Zipper merging helps to keep the flow of traffic, flowing. By encouraging traffic to ride it out in both lanes, there is less of an unsafe speed difference between the lanes. If both lanes are going the same speed, then there are less people trying to pull quickly in and out of moving lanes.

Consider the merging lanes as a zipper, reducing two lanes to one in an orderly fashion: like the teeth of a zipper coming together.

When two lanes merged, as you will see in the picture above, the continuous traffic makes way for the merging traffic and vice versa until they are both in a single lane. The merging lane will end and will display a sign when this merge ending occurs.

How This Works

• When there is heavy traffic on the roadway drivers should use the full acceleration lane.
• You don’t merge early when you see a little gap in the traffic. Join the traffic on the roadway at the end of the acceleration lane.
• This is the best way to keep traffic flowing.

Steps For Merging Like A Zipper

1. Use the acceleration lane to ensure your speed is identical to the speed of traffic on the roadway.
2. Check your mirrors frequently watching the flow of traffic.
3. Use your turn signal to let drivers know your planning to move over.
4. Pay attention to traffic, increasing or decreasing your speed to fit between other drivers, if necessary.
5. Do a shoulder check to ensure there is nothing in your blind spot.
6. Join gradually into traffic AT THE END.
7. Cancel signal.

Why Its Important

• Reduces lane speed differences.
• Some drivers may think that passing drivers are insulting them, the truth is that in heavily congested, slow-moving traffic situations drivers need to do everything they can to keep traffic moving and using the full acceleration and moving over at the end is the best option.
• Improves throughput of traffic.
• Reduces congestion.
• Reduces accidents in construction zones.
• It doesn’t confuse drivers behind you for when and where they should merge.