When merging into traffic, what is the best practice?

The best practice when merging into traffic is to signal and adjust your speed to match the traffic. This approach ensures that you are communicating your intentions to other drivers, which is crucial for maintaining safety on the road. Signaling provides notice to other vehicles of your merging maneuver, allowing them to respond appropriately, whether that means giving you space or adjusting their own speed.

Adjusting your speed to match the flow of traffic is equally important. Merging at a similar speed to vehicles already on the road minimizes the risk of accidents, as it helps you fit smoothly into the existing traffic dynamics. This coordinated movement reduces the likelihood of abrupt changes that could lead to collisions or disruptions.

In contrast, merging at any speed can create dangerous situations because it does not account for the flow of traffic around you. Forcing your way into a lane poses a significant risk to both yourself and other drivers, as it disregards safe merging practices and might lead to confrontations or accidents. Similarly, failing to signal indicates a lack of communication, causing confusion among drivers and increasing the risk of collisions. Thus, signaling and adjusting speed to match existing traffic is the most effective and safest method for merging.