(WFRV) – As part of WisDOT’s “February Law of the Month: Safe Merging,” officials are providing tips on how to prevent potential crashes with safe merging techniques.
According to a release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, merging is a common technique out on the roads that requires every driver to stay calm and pay attention in order to prevent crashes.
Officials say merging can include changing lanes, joining traffic on another road, or entering onto a roadway from the curb or shoulder.
State Law reportedly requires that drivers are supposed to stay in their lane and wait to merge until it is certain that they have enough space to merge safely.
Proper merging helps maintain a safe and smooth flow of traffic. Drivers encounter many different situations on the road that require merging. Crashes can be avoided when motorists are cautious of others on the road, allow plenty of distance between vehicles and avoid driving in blind spots of other vehicles.
State Patrol Superintendent Tim Carnahan
Tips for practicing good merging techniques are as follows:
Changing lanes
- Be sure the road is clear and there is a large enough gap between vehicles to allow the ability to safely change lanes.
- Use turn signals to give other drivers time to react to a planned move.
- State law requires drivers to use turn signals before changing lanes, turning, or merging into traffic.
- Scan quickly for traffic to the side and behind the vehicle.
- Use the rearview and side mirrors and look over the shoulder to check all of the vehicle’s blind spots.
- Eyes should not be taken off the road for more than an instant because traffic up ahead could stop suddenly.
- Look carefully for others on the road including motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians who are harder to see.
Entering a highway
- Yield to traffic already moving on the roadway.
- When using an entrance ramp, aim to enter the highway at the same speed that traffic is moving.
- High-speed roadways generally have an acceleration lane to give drivers time to build up speed before merging into traffic.
- When waiting for space to enter a roadway, slow down on the ramp so there is some room to speed up before merging.
Zipper merge for lane closures
- When seeing a sign indicating a lane closure ahead, continue to drive in the lane up until the final merge point.
- Take alternating turns with other drivers to merge into the single lane of traffic.
- A zipper merge is not necessary when traffic is moving at highway speeds and there are no backups.
- Drivers can move over sooner if it is safe to do so.
Merging into a roundabout
- Slow down and yield to all lanes of traffic on the left and traffic already in the roundabout.
- Stay in the same lane when traveling through the roundabout.
- Use the right turn signal when carefully approaching the desired exit
In addition to the tips mentioned above, officials with WisDOT say to give larger vehicles extra space.
Commercial trucks can typically weigh up to about 80,000 pounds requiring them a greater distance to stop.
When merging near a large truck, a commercial vehicle, or a bus, officials say to allow plenty of distance to ensure they aren’t cut off.
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Additional information about safe driving recommendations and driving requirements can be found by reviewing the Wisconsin Motorists Handbook.
For more information about WisDot’s February Law of the Month, click here.