Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Permit Practice Test

What is a crucial action to take when merging into traffic with a large vehicle behind you?

1. Accelerate quickly to overtake

2. Signal your intent to merge

3. Yield until it's safe to enter

4. Stay in your lane until you reach your destination

The correct answer is: Yield until it's safe to enter

When merging into traffic with a large vehicle behind you, yielding until it's safe to enter is a crucial action because large vehicles, such as trucks or buses, require more time and space to stop or change lanes due to their size and weight. If you do not yield, you could inadvertently cut off the large vehicle, leading to a potentially dangerous situation. Yielding gives the driver of the large vehicle the opportunity to adjust their speed and maintain a safe following distance. By taking this action, you are prioritizing safety over speed. It's essential to ensure that there is enough distance between you and the large vehicle, allowing for a smooth merge without causing any disruption to the traffic flow. While signaling your intent to merge is also important, it does not replace the need to assess the traffic situation and ensure that it is safe to enter the lane. Therefore, yielding when necessary is the most responsible and safest approach.