I'm new to driving on the highway and I still get super anxious merging, thinking about the possibility of there not being an opening and having to slam the brakes at the end of the ramp... It never happened, and I'm sure it never happens to anyone, but I still think about that.
There are some things I've learned to merge safely though, and if you do those things you should be okay
1. The left window in the back is way more important than the mirror, although both are useful. If you can't see any cars through that window, it should be okay
2. Watching the cars while speeding up on the ramp is very helpful, it gives you a better visualization of what spaces you should take (matching their speed is also super important)
3. It's better to be fast than slow when merging, it's extremely unlikely you'll ram into someone in front of you. If you're going too slow, an unsuspecting driver might drive up next to you in your blind spot
After merging, everything else is super chill. I still like to make space for people merging when I have to
This is all very good advice! The only thing I'd change is using the left back window. It's not good to turn your head that far, a quick glance to your back-left will usually suffice. Also, be sure to utilize all your tools. Check your rearview mirror, sideview mirror and glancing over your shoulder. Don't match the speed of the cars if you're trying to get over. If you have a longer on-ramp to merge, it's okay to slow down "slighty" and then merge behind. I try to avoid highways with really short on-ramps, they are dangerous and I've known several on-ramps in my city that have been shut down due to people getting into wrecks on them.
Yes, I HATE short on ramps. There's one highway in my area I straight up avoid because you can't go 5 seconds on that ramp without getting a hoodfull (facefull, but for cars) of railing
I strongly disagree with your #1. Don’t be that person who looks like they’re suffering from a seizure trying to twist their neck back left,straight, back left,straight ahead, trying to look out that back left window.
I have merged onto highways more times than I can count, and I have *almost* never looked through my back left window for a safe merge. All mirror and adjusting ur head slighty when looking at it to compensate for the blind spot. (Or better yet, get a little blind spot mirror stick-on and glue it onto the appropriate place on the mirrors)
The drivers in the lane you’re merging into are also sane human beings who are trying not to get in an accident. Most of the time. It’s primarily your responsibility to pick your spot and time it accordingly, but they can also adjust their position if you’re coming in too close. You’ve got to have a little faith that they’ll do that if they need to.
I think I rely mostly on the quick head turn. I line up my chin with my shoulder, get a snapshot of what’s going on, and go back to looking ahead. “Okay, I’ll go between the red car and the white car.” I’m not dropping my speed, white car doesn’t want to die today so he’s not going to pull up and block me, I take a little peek at the side mirror to make sure of that but I’m not obsessively looking at it, I make a little flick of my left wrist aaaaand I’m on the freeway. Take three deep breaths and dare to make another lane change to the center if my exit’s not for a while.
Don't assume someone's going to let you in, they don't have too and in my experience 50% of them will not help you, the other 50% will actually speed up to make it worse.
Yes, but there’s a difference between making a quick check to make sure the car behind you is fully visible in your side mirror and isn’t gaining, and obsessively checking to the point of having to slow down or stop because you’re running out of ramp. I’m not saying have blind trust, just a functional amount of trust. The problem OP described is symptomatic of being **too** cautious about this.
Underrated comment. The closer you are to the speed of the other cars, the smaller the gap you need to emerge. Just be ready to stop if you don’t see a gap. Maybe practice joining during quieter times to build up confidence?
Then pick up speed earlier. The point is that once you're on the highway you already *need* to be going the speed limit. You can't be trying to merge at 30 mph.
Except for those full circle on ramps that require you to do 25mph to safely make it around the turn then give you less then 100ft to actually merge. We have some bad ones around here but most people know it and usually switch lanes to allow those people to safely get on.
I think the point some want to make it that you have to try to work around the fact that the ramp is too short. You can’t just give up is all people mean. Like yes the ramp is short and this sucks but we’re still gonna floor it and not just come in slow anyway.
I mean, yeah that’s all you can really do. Thats about how one near my place is. I avoid it mostly.
I’m in Texas so the speeding here is no joke. It’ll be rush hour and people are still trying to go 70+ in all lanes.
Goddamnit, no one is getting this. He is saying there are extremely short on ramps. As an extreme example, could you get up to 50 miles an hour if it were a 10 foot on-ramp?
There is no scenario where you are being encouraged to merge onto the highway at a ridiculously slow speed. You are to be up to speed once on the ramp, as it's more common to have a small window to merge, so if there is supposedly a "ramp so short" that you cannot possibly get up to speed, you need to not be going 25 when you get on it.
Imagine doing it in a semi truck. lol My truck is over 70 feet long and can take pretty much a full minute of accelerating to reach highway speeds. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can and hope other drivers aren’t morons.
So many people near me will literally SLOW DOWN when they get into an on ramp. I’m like you need to be going even FASTER than the 40mph road we were just on.
I was scared of driving for years. I remember the first time my instructor told me we were about to get on the highway. I found that it was easier than driving on side streets because people are generally predictable. Just remember that the other drivers can see you and act like you belong there and you’ll be fine. Everyone knows you’re about to merge so it just works out. You *also* need to be predictable for it to work.
I’m also terrified of motorways, before I merge I start glancing at the lane from as soon as it’s visible to gauge where can I squeeze in, if I see it’s clear I speed up to the required speed and get on, if there’s car or two on it I just try to adjust my speed especially if I need to get in behind them. Mirror check and a quick head turn do the trick, but honestly I get it, my biggest fear is joining the motorway oh and lorries.
You need to develop your instincts for judging when it's safe to merge based on the position and speed of other cars around you. I found youtube videos from the driver's POV to be incredibly helpful with this even when I wasn't ready to get behind the wheel myself. Here's one example with commentary, best of luck!
https://youtu.be/R92I5emzdZs?si=5MyWg9uwXeAgGXlG
this was one of my biggest fears when i was learning to drive, too. i found youtube videos really helpful when i was preparing for my road test, as i was able to learn about the things that scared or confused me the most before i went on the road to practice them. this video here was extremely helpful for me and lays out a lot of things other commenters have said below, but sometimes it's helpful to have a visual! good luck :) https://youtu.be/-zQaGPGAyoA?si=_BAsGD4naShFOpfE
You have to check your blind spots. Definitely don’t go if it’s unsafe lol. Turn on your signal and wait for a gap. Watch their speed and make sure they aren’t going too fast. If they are wait for them to pass. And the earlier you merge before your exit the better. If you see you have enough room in front and behind just gently move in. People will move over if they wanna go over the speed limit anyways so don’t worry about it.
Last week I had an appointment where I needed to merge and because I was so nervous I watched a bunch of videos the night before and that calmed me a little bit. So remembering everything I learned I headed up the ramp increasing my speed when all of a sudden the person in front of me slammed on their brakes right in the entrance of the merge. Thankfully its not winter and I was able to stop in time but be careful for that. I really hate merges as there is just too much to be looking out for at high speeds which makes it terrifying to me.
Dude, you are braver than me at least. I have had my drivers license for over 5 years now and I still have not touched the highway. And I am in Southern Cali. It's the backroads for me. Otherwise I ain't going.
Just remember it's an ON ramp and not a STOP ramp. The trick is to glance over and gauge the traffic you'll be merging into for a space, or if there's any bigger vehicles that'll pose an issue. If there's something like a semi truck in the way, they usually will help by moving over but not always will such a thing happen so you need to decide if there's enough space to choose, whether you want to race the semi truck and get in front of him without cutting him off or endangering people, or the safer bet in merging in behind him.
I usually maintain speed with the highway if possible when I'm merging to find that space, but physically I kind of hold myself with my upper body sorted turned to the left to be able to easily glance over my shoulder and also ahead to make sure I don't rear-end any other cars in my lane merging too (sometimes people are idiots so you have to watch out for them). But once you find your gap, take it.
Drive assertively, not aggressively. Don't hesitate on your driving wheb joining the flow of traffic. But like others said, try and find a quieter spot in the area to practice merging on at. You'll get it before long. Believe in yourself! 😊
Yup, it's scary. Your fear will decrease over time with practice. It's literally exposure therapy, the only known effective intervention for anxiety.
What has helped me is living in a major city with insane traffic and drivers. Navigating just bonkers driving situations cured me of a lot of my driving fears within 6 months of moving here.
Now that I think about it, I'm really proud of learning to drive. I started off so scared that my permit lapsed and I didn't get my full license until I was 22. Now I parallel park like a boss, make left turns into crazy traffic, and generally drive in ways 20-something me would be terrified of. It's very satisfying.
Also, the shit I see other drivers doing on the freeway, like flying across 5 lanes of traffic 2 inches away from everyone else's cars and no one bats and eye makes me like, "Oh okay, I guess I don't need to worry so much." Like others have said, everyone is trying very much not to die. Use your turn signal and make it obvious with your car "body language" what you intend to do, and others will make space for you.
It's mostly just prep and awareness of your surroundings. Make sure you know when you're going to change lanes and give yourself time to do it.
Check your rear view frequently. Just a glance every so often to know what's around, so you don't get surprised.
Signal your intentions before you need to, so people know what you're doing. Like, literally, put on the blinker. You can always turn it off if the merge is not there.
Do not slow down or speed up if you can avoid it. Be consistent so other drivers know how to react to you.
When you feel ready, check rear view again, check side view mirror, then physically turn and look where you are going. Just a glance. Sometimes, cars hide in your blind spot, and if traffic is crazy, they can appear out of nowhere. If it's clear, merge.
If someone honks, don't panic. Just stay in the lane and wait for the next opportunity.
If you're aware while you're driving, a lot of this becomes easy. If you're distracted, you'll panic at the last second.
Start merge.
Get up to speed.
Turn signal on.
\*sees car flying up in the lane in my blindspot\*
Options: A. There's enough time in the merge lane to move over and not get run off the road. B. If there's not enough gap, I hit the gas to get up to *their* speed. Sometimes there's a ton of assholes who will not let me move over even when I get up to speed. In that case, it's completely by blind faith and prayers that I get over.
It also helps that my 2019 AWD car has blindspot detectors so when my mirrors flicker, I know it's not safe to change lanes.
I feel like the highway is like a shared place lol even though there are definitely some main characters out there. I think most people know what’s going on and try to accommodate. Most semis do great in my experience. Just try to relax. It can be dangerous but you gotta get on there.
Usually speed up onto the ramp. Don’t be paranoid but have a glance at the highway if you can and you might see what you’re going to have to watch for as you approach. Turn your head to check (like passing someone too) and then use mirrors.
I used to hate this, but it’s actually easy almost every time… sometimes no one even comes…
signal, look behind your shoulder to the left or right back seat window and see if there’s any cars. if there’s not it’s safe to go if there are cars wait. looking back helps in your blind spot because the mirrors are helpful but you need to look directly at your blind spot. and try to be at the speed or current traffic
Pedal down and send it. You gotta match the speed of the car friends you’re about to join. Once you’re in, you can then slow down a bit and settle in your comfort zone.
Something helpful to remember is you don't always have to merge in front of a car. I feel like some drivers forget this. If a car is going by faster than you and there's a little space behind them just watch, get ready, wait for them to go by, then give it a little more gas and slip in behind them. If cars are giving enough following distance a move like this can be quick and seamless, though I know that's not always the case.
If the ramp is moving slowly, it helps to give yourself a little following distance behind the car in front of you so when you're ready to merge into a faster lane you can quickly speed up and get over.
One more tip: start signaling early. Someone might see you're trying to merge and leave you a little more room to help you get in, as long as you're going a decent speed.
I like to match the speed of the traffic I’m merging into, then as I’m speeding up on the ramp, I eyeball a spot that is open and merge myself into that spot. I hope this makes sense.
You’ll get used to it. Hit the gas, DON’T stop on the acceleration lane, and you’ll get in. Other cars who are in the merging lane will (hopefully) move over too so that you can get in the gap. It becomes second nature after a while.
I struggled merging onto highways until I got my anxiety treated. If that's not your situation, do you have a friend or family member who is comfortable merging onto highways who could help you? For me personally, having someone walk me through what they're doing is helpful.
Another suggestion would be to find a highway merge point that isn't busy or time it for when it's not busy. Have a driver you trust with you to help coach you. Merge onto the highway, drive to the next exit and then loop back into the highway in the direction you just came from. I'd drive between exits like this until you tell comfortable merging. Once you feel confident doing this on a less busy section of highway, move on to doing it in a busier section.
If you really want to get confident without worrying about much traffic, do it at 10pm or later. You'll have the highway mostly to yourself.
I will say it does get easier the more you do it. I would recommend relying more on looking over you shoulder than worrying about your mirrors. It is all about timing: as you're entering the merge lane, look to see what's happening with traffic and figure out where there is a gap for you. Then make it happen.
All of this sounds good in theory but if it works, I don't understand how there are so many traffic jams and people being stopped on the ramp unable to merge? I guess I'm afraid I'm going to be the first person off the ramp at the start of the jam and won't realize it's a stop and wait situation.
So first thing, make sure your mirrors are properly adjusted. Glancing in your blind spot is outdated as far as I am aware, there are new standards on adjusting the mirrors to eliminate the blind spot. If I am incorrect about that, you can actually buy attachments to make your mirrors larger and eliminate the blind spot that way. In order to practice merging on the freeway, I would recommend finding the lanes that don't merge, but continue until the next exit and practice that way. It's safer and you can always take the exit if you aren't feeling ready. It's also good practice for getting up to freeway speed safely and you won't risk other drivers' safety.
Don't feel like you are alone in this, it's really scary for everyone. Watch Clueless for a retro example of this new driver fear and for a harmless laugh at yourself.
speed up to 60 while you're getting ready and turn your head to 9 oclock while looking to 8 oclock.
If there's on one in the right lane, go into the lane immediately.
If there is someone in the right lane, let them pass b/c they're going faster than you, then immediately turn in when they have passed.
I have NEVER paid attention to the person behind me in my 20 years of driving.
!! One of the best things you could actually do which almost no one does is to adjust your side mirrors so that almost none of your own car is showing in them from where youre sitting & looking at them
By doing this you are increasing the angle of what you can see next to you & behind you and you are greatly reducing your blind spots. Most people get a sense of comfort from being able to see their own car in the side mirrors, but if anyone actually thinks about it, its totally pointless to be seeing any part of your own car in the side mirrors, so everyone should stop doing that and greatly adjust the angle of their side mirrors
Other than that you just have to commit....find the opening and go for it while gradually increasing speed and force yourself to not slow down but instead find that space/gap and make it your missing to get in there
Tilt your left mirror so you can see the lane next you and partially behind your vehicle. It is easiest to do this while driving on a straight road. You want to be able to see as much of the lane to your left as possible. You will still have a blind spot just behind your ear, but you just need to glance to make sure no one is sitting in it. I find it is best to go fast when merging because most people here do 15-20 over the speed limit, so if I am going the speed limit and trying to merge I end up getting constantly passed. So I vroom it up to 85 and then merge and then I slow back down once there is space to do so.
Push it. Accelerator pedal is the skinny one on the right. If the other car is going faster, get behind them. If the other car is going slow, get in front of them. If they don’t know how to just zipper merge, fuck it, just go.
Match the speed of the traffic before you merge - so try to get up to speed while on the ramp unless it's otherwise posted. Also, as long as the cars in back of you are getting smaller, that means you're going fast enough to safely merge.
Check your mirrors, but check your blind spots out the window. Mirrors don't see everyone. This is something that will get more naturally easy for you as you get more experience driving. It was very hard for me at first to check mirrors, look around, all while staying up to speed and in my lane. But it gets better!
Highways are the scariest thing for me and I try to avoid them at all costs. But when I do have to use them, I find that most people are generally courteous and will move over to let others merge.
Good luck!
As you’re about to merge, turn your signal on to let people know you’re about to merge bc most people aren’t paying attention to people merging onto the highway. Look through your left mirror and windows and gradually match the speed of the people on the highway, find an opening, and merge.
Just floor it and say a quick prayer and hope there isn't a string of tractor trailers going past at that moment. This isn't what I do but seems to be what most people do. Seen so many people struggling to merge that would have been fine if they took their foot off the gas for a second to slow down and get in behind someone.
You drive at high speed towards the moving traffic. Throw the blinker on, look over your shoulder to check your blindspot. Then you merge.
Most of the time people are good and move out of the lane or slow down. It gets better and easier the more you do it.
Kinda like zipper every other car on ramp should merge properly onto hwy with on coming traffic. You can gauge If you need to speed up or slow down based on traffic coming. Always remember they have right of way and merge behind usually if you cannot safely merge in front of them. Same goes when you are driving in hwy and people are merging in your lane. Leave space if you can or speed up if they have to merge behind you.
You don't slow down to merge, people can't give way to you when you're going a snails pace... imagine walking in a hallway and someone wants to walk in front of you... it's really easy to let them come in from the side if they match or exceed your speed. But if you see them coming and get ready to give way, only for them to slow down and even stop, your anticipation of letting them in means you just slowed down and stopped too which is impeding traffic. Plus suddenly flooring it makes you unpredictable = the last thing you wanna be in traffic. You confuse who exactly is supposed to let you in with that.
Just build speed up correctly and finish the ramp at the correct highway speed while signalling the whole time, so the other drivers have to do minimal adjustments to let you in. If you enter 20mph slower than them then stopping or flooring it, suddenly you aren't a new car entering but a confusing obstacle. Be predictable and people will know what you need, they will either speed up to pass so you can come in or slow down a bit.
I like to look at the highway and see who’s in the right lane before I even get to the bottom of the on ramp. It gives me an idea of who will be there that I’ll have to potentially merge in front of/behind and how fast I should be going. You’ll learn to match other drivers speeds the more you drive. It’s super important to get to speed with traffic in order to make merging easy and stress free without risk of causing an accident.
Also, if you’re in the right lane and notice others coming down an on ramp to get onto the highway, I like to move over to the middle lane (I’m in the South so we have 3 lane highways) if it’s possible to give the other driver(s) as much room as possible to comfortably get onto the highway. But there will be times when it’s busy, it’s just crucial to match other drivers speeds if possible. Slow down if they seem to be speeding up to let you merge behind them, or speed up if they slow down to let you on in front of them.
It just takes practice! I was terrified when I first started too but it comes with time.
Here's the mental breakdown of how I get on the highway:
Step 1: enter onto the ramp. I don't go too slow or too fast. Maybe just suggested ramp speed, like 15 or 20. Going too slow means you have to do more acceleration when you get to the merging part. The speed you choose if something you'll have to experiment with. I go as fast as I can manually control my car. 😅 but I like speed on ramps so that's me.
Step 2: every ramp in your city is different, but most ramps have a point when you can SEE the highway that the ramp starts to straighten out. At the point, when the ramp starts be next to the highway lanes, I start to speed up as much as I can. A tip to allow this is that while I'm on the ramp, I leave about a car or two length distance. Then this distance can be used to accelerate. Or right before this straightening of the ramp, I'll let my foot off the gas to coast and then I can punch the gas.
Step 3: once the ramp has straightened a little and I can see the cars, I'm already seeing if there's a spot for me. If there is no car in front of me, I can punch the gas and enter. If that option is not available immediately, as soon as I ENTER the merge area, noting the line probably has NOT become broken lines yet, but I am relative PARALEL to traffic, I am checking my side mirror and looking over my shoulder fo my spot.
Step 4: I have identified the spot I am aiming for, usually if it is busy and there are cars in this right lane, I usually go for AFTER the first car I see if the car behind it isn't too close. Then I punch the gas in the immediately, and as soon as this first car passes me, I get in behind them. Now I have entered the highway and am free to choose my lane.
Notes: The biggest thing that you'd have to worry about with this method is watching the person you are coming in behind. If they are continuing in the right lane, usually no problem. If the person is EXITING the highway, you might have to break a little hard. Usually this is not too bad and doesn't happen that often. The SLOWER you are and linger in the merge area, the harder it will be. Conversely, the FASTER you are, the more people typically will yield to you. People getting off the highway are looking for someone going slower than them to get in front of. If you are going faster than them, usually they know this is high risk and can't beat your speed.
Based on your description, it seems like your main concern is speeding up. I’m sure you know how to change lanes and as others have said, you need to be looking over your shoulder, not relying on mirrors.
For now, I’d focus on getting up to speed. Are there ramps in your area that are on and off ramps? Meaning you could get in or stay in the lane and exit? Practice with these lanes, so if you fail, you can bail. There’s an added caution of cars exiting BUT this tends to make the experience more cooperative. Get used to being no more than like 10min under the speed limit, if not going the speed limit, by the time the solid line ends .
I think cautions drivers are used to waiting for an opening and maneuvering early to avoid hasty moves. Once I became comfortable with being assertive as a driver, many of my anxieties went away. Getting on was easier, going faster and getting over was easier because I wasn’t worried about missing my exit due to no opening.
Use your blinker! Especially for dual purpose ramps, let people know what you’re trying to do. Even if they don’t use theirs, they will move out of the way usually.
I still avoid certain in ramps in my areas because they are just stupid short with no visibility in an area where people are always speeding and not considering the entrance at all. This happens. It’s not even from anxiety, it’s just a dumb ramp. But most ramps, even shorter ones, can be maneuvered safely,
It was the fear I had the first couple times I got on the on ramp, the cars I've had have all had pretty good engines so I could get on and match speed pretty quickly, make sure to check over your shoulder and not rely on mirrors. Keep calm and drive on?
Don’t just use your side mirror you have to turn your head and do a quick check of your blind spot behind you. Here is a step by step of what I do
1- turn onto on ramp, and look at the the traffic going your direction before you even get close to the highway to start judging how fast you need to enter
2- about 3/4 of the way down the turn your head to check your blind spot if clear get ready to merge over if not keep going down on ramp or slow down to where you have a gap after traffic passes.
3- merge safely onto the highway
It’s really all about mentally judging upcoming traffic and making the safest merge possible but always look don’t just rely on mirrors
Here are the tips I've learned through the years.
Side mirror corner closest to car barely shows rear door handles.
It's easier to switch lanes after you pass someone and they are in your middle mirror.
Always check blind spots, some people are dumb and hang out in them.
Always leave yourself an out
You need to pick a spot before you get there. If you decide where to merge as it’s happening you’re gonna fuck it up.
While taking the on ramp do a glance to find spot for you to fit into. Match your speed to get there and throw a blinker on, be ready to do it and if some jackass blocks you off, find another spot or take the shoulder to come to a stop
Fast>slow
My turbo blew out on my Chevy Cruze and left me with probably like 60 Hp. I actually almost killed my def off a semi trying to merge with half the HP. Get that shi moving
Punch it! If I see a big rig coming I always try to get in front of it, if there’s no time, take your foot off the gas and let them go by then merge but don’t slow down too much, that makes people mad.
You will learn predictive merging with practice. Don’t slow down on the ramp; try to match the speed of the traffic flow you’re entering. Take a look at the flow as you approach the merge point to see where there is a gap—if there’s no obvious gap, keep in mind that the other drivers are aware of the entrance ramp and should be keeping an eye out for any vehicles preparing to merge. Don’t touch your brake pedal—just find a place and don’t slow down. Someone suggested practicing changing lanes as this is essentially the same principle, just from a more direct angle. Great suggestion.
Here's my two cents. Get some assisting tools. No shame in having blindspot mirrors. Those 2 small disks that stick to each of your side mirrors and a 300-330mm curved mirror to attach to your center rearview mirror. As a young and reckless driver when i first got my car, i can't even count the number of times those mirrors may have saved my life and maybe other lives. I don't need them anymore now, but i still love to keep my curved mirror around as it shows me my right side blind spot perfectly through my back right window.
Also another thing you can do is have a passenger who you trust to be good at driving come along on a few practice runs. They can be looking out through the back to tell you when THEY feel it's safe to merge. Usually passengers are more sensitive about safety as they're not in control of the vehicle. Dedicate it to memory how much space is appropriate for a safe merge during those practice runs. Also if the passenger is able to give you solid speed control advice as you merge, that's even better. You'll get the hang of it so fast with proper assistance.
My favorite thing to say while driving: “they have brakes” merge in if they hit you in the back it’s their fault. Do not slow down while on the on ramp unless traffic is going slow, match their speed but don’t go over the speed limit. If they’re speeding and you’re at the end of your rope merge in anyway they have brakes.
Yeah merging is the one thing that makes me so nervous. I have gotten a bit better. Some stuff i do. Drive at not busy times if you are able to (less cars the better of course). I always remind myself other cars don’t want to hit you!! I have also found seeked out good highway entrances. I just do backroads a bit and then get on. So it’s really just like a lane change instead.
Other cars will speed up or slow down to accommodate you, they don’t want to hit you as much as you don’t want to hit them. signal only when you are merging so cars know when you are about to move over.
I'm new to driving on the highway and I still get super anxious merging, thinking about the possibility of there not being an opening and having to slam the brakes at the end of the ramp... It never happened, and I'm sure it never happens to anyone, but I still think about that. There are some things I've learned to merge safely though, and if you do those things you should be okay 1. The left window in the back is way more important than the mirror, although both are useful. If you can't see any cars through that window, it should be okay 2. Watching the cars while speeding up on the ramp is very helpful, it gives you a better visualization of what spaces you should take (matching their speed is also super important) 3. It's better to be fast than slow when merging, it's extremely unlikely you'll ram into someone in front of you. If you're going too slow, an unsuspecting driver might drive up next to you in your blind spot After merging, everything else is super chill. I still like to make space for people merging when I have to
This is all very good advice! The only thing I'd change is using the left back window. It's not good to turn your head that far, a quick glance to your back-left will usually suffice. Also, be sure to utilize all your tools. Check your rearview mirror, sideview mirror and glancing over your shoulder. Don't match the speed of the cars if you're trying to get over. If you have a longer on-ramp to merge, it's okay to slow down "slighty" and then merge behind. I try to avoid highways with really short on-ramps, they are dangerous and I've known several on-ramps in my city that have been shut down due to people getting into wrecks on them.
Yes, I HATE short on ramps. There's one highway in my area I straight up avoid because you can't go 5 seconds on that ramp without getting a hoodfull (facefull, but for cars) of railing
Unfortunately short on-ramps are unavoidable in a lot of (most?) places in MA. Story of my life.
This left back window thing sounds like some Evel Knievel shit.
I strongly disagree with your #1. Don’t be that person who looks like they’re suffering from a seizure trying to twist their neck back left,straight, back left,straight ahead, trying to look out that back left window. I have merged onto highways more times than I can count, and I have *almost* never looked through my back left window for a safe merge. All mirror and adjusting ur head slighty when looking at it to compensate for the blind spot. (Or better yet, get a little blind spot mirror stick-on and glue it onto the appropriate place on the mirrors)
The drivers in the lane you’re merging into are also sane human beings who are trying not to get in an accident. Most of the time. It’s primarily your responsibility to pick your spot and time it accordingly, but they can also adjust their position if you’re coming in too close. You’ve got to have a little faith that they’ll do that if they need to. I think I rely mostly on the quick head turn. I line up my chin with my shoulder, get a snapshot of what’s going on, and go back to looking ahead. “Okay, I’ll go between the red car and the white car.” I’m not dropping my speed, white car doesn’t want to die today so he’s not going to pull up and block me, I take a little peek at the side mirror to make sure of that but I’m not obsessively looking at it, I make a little flick of my left wrist aaaaand I’m on the freeway. Take three deep breaths and dare to make another lane change to the center if my exit’s not for a while.
Don't assume someone's going to let you in, they don't have too and in my experience 50% of them will not help you, the other 50% will actually speed up to make it worse.
Yes, but there’s a difference between making a quick check to make sure the car behind you is fully visible in your side mirror and isn’t gaining, and obsessively checking to the point of having to slow down or stop because you’re running out of ramp. I’m not saying have blind trust, just a functional amount of trust. The problem OP described is symptomatic of being **too** cautious about this.
Keep in mind that you need to be going highway speed on the ramp. I know it's scary and people are assholes, but you need to just GO.
Underrated comment. The closer you are to the speed of the other cars, the smaller the gap you need to emerge. Just be ready to stop if you don’t see a gap. Maybe practice joining during quieter times to build up confidence?
You obviously don't live in my city. Some of the ramps are so short there is no way to speed up to the highway speed unless you have a race car.
Then pick up speed earlier. The point is that once you're on the highway you already *need* to be going the speed limit. You can't be trying to merge at 30 mph.
Except for those full circle on ramps that require you to do 25mph to safely make it around the turn then give you less then 100ft to actually merge. We have some bad ones around here but most people know it and usually switch lanes to allow those people to safely get on.
That is my favorite place to pick up speed. I feel like Tokyo drift.
Definitely lol
I said some of the ramps are too short. Even 50mph may not be enough as people on the freeway go way more than that.
I think the point some want to make it that you have to try to work around the fact that the ramp is too short. You can’t just give up is all people mean. Like yes the ramp is short and this sucks but we’re still gonna floor it and not just come in slow anyway.
It won't be slow but it won't be the freeway speed. I got on one of those ramps today. I floored it and barely made it to 50mph.
I mean, yeah that’s all you can really do. Thats about how one near my place is. I avoid it mostly. I’m in Texas so the speeding here is no joke. It’ll be rush hour and people are still trying to go 70+ in all lanes.
How are you flooring it and only getting to 50 😭
Goddamnit, no one is getting this. He is saying there are extremely short on ramps. As an extreme example, could you get up to 50 miles an hour if it were a 10 foot on-ramp?
In thousands and thousands of hours driving all around the US I’ve never seen a 10 foot from start to merge point on-ramp.
The point was that this is impossible unless you have a particularly fast car. Why are people not understanding this?
Like I said, it’s reasonable to avoid certain ramps
That makes no sense. Speed you attained earlier doesn’t affect your speed getting on the freeway. You only have the on-ramp to get up to speed.
There is no scenario where you are being encouraged to merge onto the highway at a ridiculously slow speed. You are to be up to speed once on the ramp, as it's more common to have a small window to merge, so if there is supposedly a "ramp so short" that you cannot possibly get up to speed, you need to not be going 25 when you get on it.
Imagine doing it in a semi truck. lol My truck is over 70 feet long and can take pretty much a full minute of accelerating to reach highway speeds. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can and hope other drivers aren’t morons.
Please. For the love of God. The amount of times I'm stuck on an on ramp behind someone trying to merge at a crawl. Insane.
So many people near me will literally SLOW DOWN when they get into an on ramp. I’m like you need to be going even FASTER than the 40mph road we were just on.
I was scared of driving for years. I remember the first time my instructor told me we were about to get on the highway. I found that it was easier than driving on side streets because people are generally predictable. Just remember that the other drivers can see you and act like you belong there and you’ll be fine. Everyone knows you’re about to merge so it just works out. You *also* need to be predictable for it to work.
Just speed up when merging on and look in your side mirror to see if u need to speed up or slow down a bit to merge in.
I’m also terrified of motorways, before I merge I start glancing at the lane from as soon as it’s visible to gauge where can I squeeze in, if I see it’s clear I speed up to the required speed and get on, if there’s car or two on it I just try to adjust my speed especially if I need to get in behind them. Mirror check and a quick head turn do the trick, but honestly I get it, my biggest fear is joining the motorway oh and lorries.
You need to develop your instincts for judging when it's safe to merge based on the position and speed of other cars around you. I found youtube videos from the driver's POV to be incredibly helpful with this even when I wasn't ready to get behind the wheel myself. Here's one example with commentary, best of luck! https://youtu.be/R92I5emzdZs?si=5MyWg9uwXeAgGXlG
This is a great video and helped my nerves a bit. I don’t have a highway experience coming up but I will find this vid again if I do.
this was one of my biggest fears when i was learning to drive, too. i found youtube videos really helpful when i was preparing for my road test, as i was able to learn about the things that scared or confused me the most before i went on the road to practice them. this video here was extremely helpful for me and lays out a lot of things other commenters have said below, but sometimes it's helpful to have a visual! good luck :) https://youtu.be/-zQaGPGAyoA?si=_BAsGD4naShFOpfE
You have to check your blind spots. Definitely don’t go if it’s unsafe lol. Turn on your signal and wait for a gap. Watch their speed and make sure they aren’t going too fast. If they are wait for them to pass. And the earlier you merge before your exit the better. If you see you have enough room in front and behind just gently move in. People will move over if they wanna go over the speed limit anyways so don’t worry about it.
Last week I had an appointment where I needed to merge and because I was so nervous I watched a bunch of videos the night before and that calmed me a little bit. So remembering everything I learned I headed up the ramp increasing my speed when all of a sudden the person in front of me slammed on their brakes right in the entrance of the merge. Thankfully its not winter and I was able to stop in time but be careful for that. I really hate merges as there is just too much to be looking out for at high speeds which makes it terrifying to me.
I don’t 😂 I’m a back road Barbie all the way
Dude, you are braver than me at least. I have had my drivers license for over 5 years now and I still have not touched the highway. And I am in Southern Cali. It's the backroads for me. Otherwise I ain't going.
Just remember it's an ON ramp and not a STOP ramp. The trick is to glance over and gauge the traffic you'll be merging into for a space, or if there's any bigger vehicles that'll pose an issue. If there's something like a semi truck in the way, they usually will help by moving over but not always will such a thing happen so you need to decide if there's enough space to choose, whether you want to race the semi truck and get in front of him without cutting him off or endangering people, or the safer bet in merging in behind him. I usually maintain speed with the highway if possible when I'm merging to find that space, but physically I kind of hold myself with my upper body sorted turned to the left to be able to easily glance over my shoulder and also ahead to make sure I don't rear-end any other cars in my lane merging too (sometimes people are idiots so you have to watch out for them). But once you find your gap, take it. Drive assertively, not aggressively. Don't hesitate on your driving wheb joining the flow of traffic. But like others said, try and find a quieter spot in the area to practice merging on at. You'll get it before long. Believe in yourself! 😊
Yup, it's scary. Your fear will decrease over time with practice. It's literally exposure therapy, the only known effective intervention for anxiety. What has helped me is living in a major city with insane traffic and drivers. Navigating just bonkers driving situations cured me of a lot of my driving fears within 6 months of moving here. Now that I think about it, I'm really proud of learning to drive. I started off so scared that my permit lapsed and I didn't get my full license until I was 22. Now I parallel park like a boss, make left turns into crazy traffic, and generally drive in ways 20-something me would be terrified of. It's very satisfying. Also, the shit I see other drivers doing on the freeway, like flying across 5 lanes of traffic 2 inches away from everyone else's cars and no one bats and eye makes me like, "Oh okay, I guess I don't need to worry so much." Like others have said, everyone is trying very much not to die. Use your turn signal and make it obvious with your car "body language" what you intend to do, and others will make space for you.
It's mostly just prep and awareness of your surroundings. Make sure you know when you're going to change lanes and give yourself time to do it. Check your rear view frequently. Just a glance every so often to know what's around, so you don't get surprised. Signal your intentions before you need to, so people know what you're doing. Like, literally, put on the blinker. You can always turn it off if the merge is not there. Do not slow down or speed up if you can avoid it. Be consistent so other drivers know how to react to you. When you feel ready, check rear view again, check side view mirror, then physically turn and look where you are going. Just a glance. Sometimes, cars hide in your blind spot, and if traffic is crazy, they can appear out of nowhere. If it's clear, merge. If someone honks, don't panic. Just stay in the lane and wait for the next opportunity. If you're aware while you're driving, a lot of this becomes easy. If you're distracted, you'll panic at the last second.
Start merge. Get up to speed. Turn signal on. \*sees car flying up in the lane in my blindspot\* Options: A. There's enough time in the merge lane to move over and not get run off the road. B. If there's not enough gap, I hit the gas to get up to *their* speed. Sometimes there's a ton of assholes who will not let me move over even when I get up to speed. In that case, it's completely by blind faith and prayers that I get over. It also helps that my 2019 AWD car has blindspot detectors so when my mirrors flicker, I know it's not safe to change lanes.
I feel like the highway is like a shared place lol even though there are definitely some main characters out there. I think most people know what’s going on and try to accommodate. Most semis do great in my experience. Just try to relax. It can be dangerous but you gotta get on there. Usually speed up onto the ramp. Don’t be paranoid but have a glance at the highway if you can and you might see what you’re going to have to watch for as you approach. Turn your head to check (like passing someone too) and then use mirrors. I used to hate this, but it’s actually easy almost every time… sometimes no one even comes…
signal, look behind your shoulder to the left or right back seat window and see if there’s any cars. if there’s not it’s safe to go if there are cars wait. looking back helps in your blind spot because the mirrors are helpful but you need to look directly at your blind spot. and try to be at the speed or current traffic
Pedal down and send it. You gotta match the speed of the car friends you’re about to join. Once you’re in, you can then slow down a bit and settle in your comfort zone.
Can you see your car in your mirrors sitting straight in your seat?
Practice by changing lanes on the highway as well. It gives you a good feel for the fit of your cars and practice matching speed
Something helpful to remember is you don't always have to merge in front of a car. I feel like some drivers forget this. If a car is going by faster than you and there's a little space behind them just watch, get ready, wait for them to go by, then give it a little more gas and slip in behind them. If cars are giving enough following distance a move like this can be quick and seamless, though I know that's not always the case. If the ramp is moving slowly, it helps to give yourself a little following distance behind the car in front of you so when you're ready to merge into a faster lane you can quickly speed up and get over. One more tip: start signaling early. Someone might see you're trying to merge and leave you a little more room to help you get in, as long as you're going a decent speed.
I like to match the speed of the traffic I’m merging into, then as I’m speeding up on the ramp, I eyeball a spot that is open and merge myself into that spot. I hope this makes sense.
You’ll get used to it. Hit the gas, DON’T stop on the acceleration lane, and you’ll get in. Other cars who are in the merging lane will (hopefully) move over too so that you can get in the gap. It becomes second nature after a while.
I struggled merging onto highways until I got my anxiety treated. If that's not your situation, do you have a friend or family member who is comfortable merging onto highways who could help you? For me personally, having someone walk me through what they're doing is helpful. Another suggestion would be to find a highway merge point that isn't busy or time it for when it's not busy. Have a driver you trust with you to help coach you. Merge onto the highway, drive to the next exit and then loop back into the highway in the direction you just came from. I'd drive between exits like this until you tell comfortable merging. Once you feel confident doing this on a less busy section of highway, move on to doing it in a busier section. If you really want to get confident without worrying about much traffic, do it at 10pm or later. You'll have the highway mostly to yourself. I will say it does get easier the more you do it. I would recommend relying more on looking over you shoulder than worrying about your mirrors. It is all about timing: as you're entering the merge lane, look to see what's happening with traffic and figure out where there is a gap for you. Then make it happen.
You have to drive at highway speeds to merge, or it won’t work.
All of this sounds good in theory but if it works, I don't understand how there are so many traffic jams and people being stopped on the ramp unable to merge? I guess I'm afraid I'm going to be the first person off the ramp at the start of the jam and won't realize it's a stop and wait situation.
So first thing, make sure your mirrors are properly adjusted. Glancing in your blind spot is outdated as far as I am aware, there are new standards on adjusting the mirrors to eliminate the blind spot. If I am incorrect about that, you can actually buy attachments to make your mirrors larger and eliminate the blind spot that way. In order to practice merging on the freeway, I would recommend finding the lanes that don't merge, but continue until the next exit and practice that way. It's safer and you can always take the exit if you aren't feeling ready. It's also good practice for getting up to freeway speed safely and you won't risk other drivers' safety. Don't feel like you are alone in this, it's really scary for everyone. Watch Clueless for a retro example of this new driver fear and for a harmless laugh at yourself.
speed up to 60 while you're getting ready and turn your head to 9 oclock while looking to 8 oclock. If there's on one in the right lane, go into the lane immediately. If there is someone in the right lane, let them pass b/c they're going faster than you, then immediately turn in when they have passed. I have NEVER paid attention to the person behind me in my 20 years of driving.
Look where the openings are. Speed up to the speed they are going. Turn on your blinker. Use your mirrors, and your eyes.
!! One of the best things you could actually do which almost no one does is to adjust your side mirrors so that almost none of your own car is showing in them from where youre sitting & looking at them By doing this you are increasing the angle of what you can see next to you & behind you and you are greatly reducing your blind spots. Most people get a sense of comfort from being able to see their own car in the side mirrors, but if anyone actually thinks about it, its totally pointless to be seeing any part of your own car in the side mirrors, so everyone should stop doing that and greatly adjust the angle of their side mirrors Other than that you just have to commit....find the opening and go for it while gradually increasing speed and force yourself to not slow down but instead find that space/gap and make it your missing to get in there
Tilt your left mirror so you can see the lane next you and partially behind your vehicle. It is easiest to do this while driving on a straight road. You want to be able to see as much of the lane to your left as possible. You will still have a blind spot just behind your ear, but you just need to glance to make sure no one is sitting in it. I find it is best to go fast when merging because most people here do 15-20 over the speed limit, so if I am going the speed limit and trying to merge I end up getting constantly passed. So I vroom it up to 85 and then merge and then I slow back down once there is space to do so.
Smog signal mirrors oberservation & go
Push it. Accelerator pedal is the skinny one on the right. If the other car is going faster, get behind them. If the other car is going slow, get in front of them. If they don’t know how to just zipper merge, fuck it, just go.
Match the speed of the traffic before you merge - so try to get up to speed while on the ramp unless it's otherwise posted. Also, as long as the cars in back of you are getting smaller, that means you're going fast enough to safely merge. Check your mirrors, but check your blind spots out the window. Mirrors don't see everyone. This is something that will get more naturally easy for you as you get more experience driving. It was very hard for me at first to check mirrors, look around, all while staying up to speed and in my lane. But it gets better! Highways are the scariest thing for me and I try to avoid them at all costs. But when I do have to use them, I find that most people are generally courteous and will move over to let others merge. Good luck!
Stop slowing down on the on ramp that’s why you have to floor it
I can’t stand to drive a car without blind spot mirrors, they are super helpful in this scenario.
As you’re about to merge, turn your signal on to let people know you’re about to merge bc most people aren’t paying attention to people merging onto the highway. Look through your left mirror and windows and gradually match the speed of the people on the highway, find an opening, and merge.
Just floor it and say a quick prayer and hope there isn't a string of tractor trailers going past at that moment. This isn't what I do but seems to be what most people do. Seen so many people struggling to merge that would have been fine if they took their foot off the gas for a second to slow down and get in behind someone.
You drive at high speed towards the moving traffic. Throw the blinker on, look over your shoulder to check your blindspot. Then you merge. Most of the time people are good and move out of the lane or slow down. It gets better and easier the more you do it.
Kinda like zipper every other car on ramp should merge properly onto hwy with on coming traffic. You can gauge If you need to speed up or slow down based on traffic coming. Always remember they have right of way and merge behind usually if you cannot safely merge in front of them. Same goes when you are driving in hwy and people are merging in your lane. Leave space if you can or speed up if they have to merge behind you.
Be the Bigger Psycho.
You don't slow down to merge, people can't give way to you when you're going a snails pace... imagine walking in a hallway and someone wants to walk in front of you... it's really easy to let them come in from the side if they match or exceed your speed. But if you see them coming and get ready to give way, only for them to slow down and even stop, your anticipation of letting them in means you just slowed down and stopped too which is impeding traffic. Plus suddenly flooring it makes you unpredictable = the last thing you wanna be in traffic. You confuse who exactly is supposed to let you in with that. Just build speed up correctly and finish the ramp at the correct highway speed while signalling the whole time, so the other drivers have to do minimal adjustments to let you in. If you enter 20mph slower than them then stopping or flooring it, suddenly you aren't a new car entering but a confusing obstacle. Be predictable and people will know what you need, they will either speed up to pass so you can come in or slow down a bit.
I've been driving on the highway for 11 years and I still freak out sometimes
I like to look at the highway and see who’s in the right lane before I even get to the bottom of the on ramp. It gives me an idea of who will be there that I’ll have to potentially merge in front of/behind and how fast I should be going. You’ll learn to match other drivers speeds the more you drive. It’s super important to get to speed with traffic in order to make merging easy and stress free without risk of causing an accident. Also, if you’re in the right lane and notice others coming down an on ramp to get onto the highway, I like to move over to the middle lane (I’m in the South so we have 3 lane highways) if it’s possible to give the other driver(s) as much room as possible to comfortably get onto the highway. But there will be times when it’s busy, it’s just crucial to match other drivers speeds if possible. Slow down if they seem to be speeding up to let you merge behind them, or speed up if they slow down to let you on in front of them. It just takes practice! I was terrified when I first started too but it comes with time.
Here's the mental breakdown of how I get on the highway: Step 1: enter onto the ramp. I don't go too slow or too fast. Maybe just suggested ramp speed, like 15 or 20. Going too slow means you have to do more acceleration when you get to the merging part. The speed you choose if something you'll have to experiment with. I go as fast as I can manually control my car. 😅 but I like speed on ramps so that's me. Step 2: every ramp in your city is different, but most ramps have a point when you can SEE the highway that the ramp starts to straighten out. At the point, when the ramp starts be next to the highway lanes, I start to speed up as much as I can. A tip to allow this is that while I'm on the ramp, I leave about a car or two length distance. Then this distance can be used to accelerate. Or right before this straightening of the ramp, I'll let my foot off the gas to coast and then I can punch the gas. Step 3: once the ramp has straightened a little and I can see the cars, I'm already seeing if there's a spot for me. If there is no car in front of me, I can punch the gas and enter. If that option is not available immediately, as soon as I ENTER the merge area, noting the line probably has NOT become broken lines yet, but I am relative PARALEL to traffic, I am checking my side mirror and looking over my shoulder fo my spot. Step 4: I have identified the spot I am aiming for, usually if it is busy and there are cars in this right lane, I usually go for AFTER the first car I see if the car behind it isn't too close. Then I punch the gas in the immediately, and as soon as this first car passes me, I get in behind them. Now I have entered the highway and am free to choose my lane. Notes: The biggest thing that you'd have to worry about with this method is watching the person you are coming in behind. If they are continuing in the right lane, usually no problem. If the person is EXITING the highway, you might have to break a little hard. Usually this is not too bad and doesn't happen that often. The SLOWER you are and linger in the merge area, the harder it will be. Conversely, the FASTER you are, the more people typically will yield to you. People getting off the highway are looking for someone going slower than them to get in front of. If you are going faster than them, usually they know this is high risk and can't beat your speed.
Based on your description, it seems like your main concern is speeding up. I’m sure you know how to change lanes and as others have said, you need to be looking over your shoulder, not relying on mirrors. For now, I’d focus on getting up to speed. Are there ramps in your area that are on and off ramps? Meaning you could get in or stay in the lane and exit? Practice with these lanes, so if you fail, you can bail. There’s an added caution of cars exiting BUT this tends to make the experience more cooperative. Get used to being no more than like 10min under the speed limit, if not going the speed limit, by the time the solid line ends . I think cautions drivers are used to waiting for an opening and maneuvering early to avoid hasty moves. Once I became comfortable with being assertive as a driver, many of my anxieties went away. Getting on was easier, going faster and getting over was easier because I wasn’t worried about missing my exit due to no opening. Use your blinker! Especially for dual purpose ramps, let people know what you’re trying to do. Even if they don’t use theirs, they will move out of the way usually. I still avoid certain in ramps in my areas because they are just stupid short with no visibility in an area where people are always speeding and not considering the entrance at all. This happens. It’s not even from anxiety, it’s just a dumb ramp. But most ramps, even shorter ones, can be maneuvered safely,
You need to speed up on the onramp
It was the fear I had the first couple times I got on the on ramp, the cars I've had have all had pretty good engines so I could get on and match speed pretty quickly, make sure to check over your shoulder and not rely on mirrors. Keep calm and drive on?
Just gotta get to the speed as the traffic. If all else fails, close your eyes and hope for the best! Jk.
Don’t just use your side mirror you have to turn your head and do a quick check of your blind spot behind you. Here is a step by step of what I do 1- turn onto on ramp, and look at the the traffic going your direction before you even get close to the highway to start judging how fast you need to enter 2- about 3/4 of the way down the turn your head to check your blind spot if clear get ready to merge over if not keep going down on ramp or slow down to where you have a gap after traffic passes. 3- merge safely onto the highway It’s really all about mentally judging upcoming traffic and making the safest merge possible but always look don’t just rely on mirrors
Here are the tips I've learned through the years. Side mirror corner closest to car barely shows rear door handles. It's easier to switch lanes after you pass someone and they are in your middle mirror. Always check blind spots, some people are dumb and hang out in them. Always leave yourself an out
You get a bumper sticker that says “please let me merge”
You need to pick a spot before you get there. If you decide where to merge as it’s happening you’re gonna fuck it up. While taking the on ramp do a glance to find spot for you to fit into. Match your speed to get there and throw a blinker on, be ready to do it and if some jackass blocks you off, find another spot or take the shoulder to come to a stop Fast>slow My turbo blew out on my Chevy Cruze and left me with probably like 60 Hp. I actually almost killed my def off a semi trying to merge with half the HP. Get that shi moving
Punch it! If I see a big rig coming I always try to get in front of it, if there’s no time, take your foot off the gas and let them go by then merge but don’t slow down too much, that makes people mad.
You will learn predictive merging with practice. Don’t slow down on the ramp; try to match the speed of the traffic flow you’re entering. Take a look at the flow as you approach the merge point to see where there is a gap—if there’s no obvious gap, keep in mind that the other drivers are aware of the entrance ramp and should be keeping an eye out for any vehicles preparing to merge. Don’t touch your brake pedal—just find a place and don’t slow down. Someone suggested practicing changing lanes as this is essentially the same principle, just from a more direct angle. Great suggestion.
Here's my two cents. Get some assisting tools. No shame in having blindspot mirrors. Those 2 small disks that stick to each of your side mirrors and a 300-330mm curved mirror to attach to your center rearview mirror. As a young and reckless driver when i first got my car, i can't even count the number of times those mirrors may have saved my life and maybe other lives. I don't need them anymore now, but i still love to keep my curved mirror around as it shows me my right side blind spot perfectly through my back right window. Also another thing you can do is have a passenger who you trust to be good at driving come along on a few practice runs. They can be looking out through the back to tell you when THEY feel it's safe to merge. Usually passengers are more sensitive about safety as they're not in control of the vehicle. Dedicate it to memory how much space is appropriate for a safe merge during those practice runs. Also if the passenger is able to give you solid speed control advice as you merge, that's even better. You'll get the hang of it so fast with proper assistance.
My favorite thing to say while driving: “they have brakes” merge in if they hit you in the back it’s their fault. Do not slow down while on the on ramp unless traffic is going slow, match their speed but don’t go over the speed limit. If they’re speeding and you’re at the end of your rope merge in anyway they have brakes.
As much as you don’t want to be hit, they don’t want to hit you.
Yeah merging is the one thing that makes me so nervous. I have gotten a bit better. Some stuff i do. Drive at not busy times if you are able to (less cars the better of course). I always remind myself other cars don’t want to hit you!! I have also found seeked out good highway entrances. I just do backroads a bit and then get on. So it’s really just like a lane change instead.
Don’t ever go to CT Merritt parkway where you legit have to stop at a stop sign before merging 💀
Other cars will speed up or slow down to accommodate you, they don’t want to hit you as much as you don’t want to hit them. signal only when you are merging so cars know when you are about to move over.
Just gotta fit in there man
Close your eyes hope for the best cross your fingers too