California DMV Permit Test (Class C)Rules of the Road and Right-of-WayMedium
You are driving on a road with two lanes traveling in the same direction. The left lane is ending ahead, indicated by a 'LANE ENDS MERGE RIGHT' sign. What is the correct procedure for merging?
- ASpeed up to merge as quickly as possible into the right lane.
- BMerge immediately upon seeing the sign, even if it means cutting off traffic.
- CSlow down and wait for a large gap in the right lane before merging.
- DUse the entire length of the ending lane to match the speed of the right lane, then merge smoothly.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Use the entire length of the ending lane to match the speed of the right lane, then merge smoothly.
When a lane ends, you should use the full length of the ending lane to match the speed of the adjacent lane. This allows for a smoother and safer merge, often referred to as the 'zipper merge' technique, reducing congestion.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Speeding up without matching traffic flow can be dangerous and cause abrupt merges.
- B. Merging immediately is premature and can lead to aggressive driving and unsafe maneuvers.
- C. Slowing down and waiting for a large gap can cause traffic jams and is less efficient than a smooth merge.
Lane Ending Merge
When a lane ends, use the full length of the ending lane to match speed and smoothly merge into the adjacent lane.
- Use full lane length.
- Match speed of adjacent lane.
- Merge smoothly, do not cut off.
- Often called 'zipper merge'.
Memory trick: Lane ends? Zip it in, don't begin too soon.