Merging onto an Interstate

NHIrish wrote:
Actually, the key word is yield. That's the law in most states...and most drivers fail to yield when they enter the highway.

Perhaps a lot of the problem is that this is law in a lot of the states like you say but many and where I come from both drivers SHARE the right of way. It's up to the driver in the right lane to either move over (if possible) or make room for the driver merging. It's up to the driver merging to move into that gap. If we are required to yield right of way than to merge then there will be a Yield sign.

Unfortunately.... there are many here who cannot grasp this concept where they will either refuse to let someone merge or will stop on the onramp piling up traffic behind them.

when I hit the on ramp I mash it and by the time I hit the interstate I am up to 70 or greater if need be.. sure is nice to have 524hp at the wheels on tap. it pulls the 13k 5er with out a sweat

silvercorvette wrote:
I absolutely love it when the car in front of me slowly drives the full length of the merge / acceleration ramp then come to a full stop to wait for an opening in traffic.

Yes, this is why as my eyes are looking at the side mirror or back up the interstate, the copilots job is to focus on the ramp ahead to look out for these types and warn me about them.

I haven't read all these posts, but the 'getting up to speed' part is nice but not my experience.

Especially when ramps are uphill, there's no way I'll be up to speed to merge. Semis are not either, and I've learned from them to use my blinker generously. Your best hope is that the fwy is not too crowded nor you have to endure a rude person who will not move over to let you in.

I absolutely love it when the car in front of me slowly drives the full length of the merge / acceleration ramp then come to a full stop to wait for an opening in traffic.

sidney wrote:
What method do you use to enter an interstate from the on ramp to merge with traffic when towing?

I use the turbo-diesel method.:B. Brisk acceleration, liberal use of mirrors, and indentifying the slot in traffic I want to merge into. I try to get up to 65 mph when I merge, and then slowly back-off to 55-60 mph (CA towing speed limit is 55 mph).

That wasn't always the norm. My first TV was an 82 Ford Granada station wagon with an inline 6 towing a 3000 lbs TT, which sometimes could take up to 1/4 mile to get up to freeway speed.:E

tgreening wrote:
Drive like an Asian woman. Get up to your comfortable speed, turn on blinker (that portion optional), forego use of any mirror, say to the universe in general...."I need to merge. I go now. Good luck everyone else!". Merge. Done.

So Funny! OMG, that is SO true in my native area- SF bay area. Even tho I moved up to the mountains last year I am a born and bred SF girl and that is exactly how it is to drive in the bay area and honestly, in my travels in a MH and TT sometimes you gotta just take your space - lot's of distracted and/or lousy drivers on the road!

Btw, you know your in the SF burbs when an asian women in a mini van wearing a full dark sun visor over her face completely ignores all traffic laws in her haste to pick up her child from school...crosswalks be damned!

Drive like an Asian woman. Get up to your comfortable speed, turn on blinker (that portion optional), forego use of any mirror, say to the universe in general...."I need to merge. I go now. Good luck everyone else!". Merge. Done.

I am of the "GET-OUT-DA-WAY" mindset... lol

Not really...signal, mirrors, match speeds, be ready to relent if necessary.
Above all don't blame other drivers for not wanting to be behind something long that blocks their view.

I'm a totally different driver when towing so much weight behind.
So busy paying attention I have to set any irritations aside.

jjj wrote:
The problem now a days is there is no consideration on the road. I drive a semi and it is impossible to get up to speed before you enter and have people from behind me pass in the gore point and take my lane out from under me when you have no choice but to push them for being rude. I just try to get up to speed as much as possible and merge in. you are always going to get that one person who has no idea what you have to do to get these beasts rolling. If they flip me off, I just wave and think out loud to them, Thank you for letting me know that I am number 1. Just got to love the rude and ignorant drivers.

I will give someone towing (18 wheeler or RVer ) room if I possiable can because I know how hard it is to merge into traffic. However what really yanks my chain is going up a 5-6% hills and the trucks in the right line and doing 25 mph and one of the Aholes tries to pass the other just because he can do 26 and Im in the left lane doing 60. They just pull out in front of you like its nothing. I just want to reach under the seat and grab my 40 cal and unload it into the drivers door as I go by