Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Permit Practice Test

When entering an interstate on-ramp, what should you do to merge with traffic?

1. Decrease your speed in the acceleration lane

2. Increase your speed in the acceleration lane

3. Change lanes without signaling

4. Merge without checking mirrors

The correct answer is: Increase your speed in the acceleration lane

When merging onto an interstate, it's essential to increase your speed in the acceleration lane. The purpose of the acceleration lane is to allow drivers to adjust their speed in order to match that of the traffic already on the interstate. This enables a smoother merge and minimizes disruption for both the merging vehicle and the traffic already traveling at higher speeds. Increasing your speed helps you to safely enter the flow of traffic. It is important to gauge the speed of vehicles in the farthest lane before merging to ensure there is a safe gap. This practice promotes both personal safety and the safety of other drivers on the road. In contrast to this correct approach, decreasing speed may cause a significant hazard during merging as it can lead to collisions with vehicles in the traffic lane. Changing lanes without signaling disrupts the predictable movement of drivers and could result in accidents. Finally, merging without checking mirrors can leave a driver unaware of vehicles in adjacent lanes, which is critical for a safe merge. Thus, increasing speed in the acceleration lane is the recommended and safest choice when entering an interstate.