Alberta Written Drivers Learners Test Practice

What action should you take when merging onto a highway?

1. Speed up to overtake other vehicles

2. Adjust your speed to match the flow of traffic

3. Check mirrors and proceed without adjusting speed

4. Wait for a gap before merging, regardless of speed

The correct answer is: Adjust your speed to match the flow of traffic

When merging onto a highway, adjusting your speed to match the flow of traffic is essential for several reasons. First and foremost, it ensures that you can safely integrate into the existing traffic without causing disruptions or creating hazards for yourself or other drivers. Highways typically have higher speed limits, and maintaining a speed that is consistent with the other vehicles allows for smoother merging and reduces the risk of collisions. Matching the flow of traffic contributes to overall road safety by minimizing the chances of abrupt acceleration or deceleration, which can lead to dangerous situations. It also helps other drivers anticipate your movements, making it easier for them to accommodate your entry onto the highway. Planning to match speeds allows you to identify a suitable gap in the traffic and merge more effectively. While waiting for a gap before merging is also important, it must be paired with the appropriate speed adjustment to ensure that you are neither holding up traffic nor entering unsafely. Being overly aggressive in speeding up to overtake other vehicles can lead to reckless driving, as well as increase the likelihood of accidents. Checking mirrors without adjusting speed fails to consider the dynamic nature of highway traffic, which can lead to risky maneuvers. Therefore, the best practice when merging is to adjust your speed to blend seamlessly into the traffic