The do's and don'ts of merging

When behind the wheel, few things can cause frustration as easily as poor merging and impolite lane etiquette. We take a look at the do's and don'ts of merging.

A left lane ends on a dual carriage country road

Research conducted by Insurance Australia Group (IAG) found more than half (54 per cent) of Australian drivers admitted to having trouble merging with traffic and that 83 per cent of us claim to have experienced other drivers' poor merging technique. Merging lanes are a necessity, and all road users have to deal with them at some point, so let's take a look at the do's and don'ts of merging.

What to do when merging into another lane

When merging into another lane, you must give way to anyone that's in the lane you're moving into and it's important that you indicate for a reasonable amount of time to warn other people that you intend to cross into their lane.
They might look similar, but a lane change and a zip merge are different. If you have to cross a white line (i.e a lane change), give way to all traffic in the lane you're about to enter. If the white line ends before the lanes merge (i.e a zip merge), give way to any car that's in front of you.
If you're about to enter a freeway, wait for a safe gap. Already on the freeway? Help out other drivers by giving them space to enter if it's safe.
Be sure to match the legal speed of the road you're merging into. Strolling onto a 100 km/h freeway doing 40 km/h isn't just dangerous for you, but it's dangerous for those travelling on the freeway too.
Always check your mirrors and blind spots before merging.

Handy Tip:

To avoid a merging mishap, ease off the accelerator and cars should naturally flow in front of each other, one by one like a zipper.

What not to do when merging into another lane

Avoid stopping in the merging lane, particularly when entering freeways. If you stop, you'll lose speed and it'll be difficult to find a gap large enough for your to gain momentum.
When leaving a freeway or road with an off ramp or separate turning lane, don't slow down until you've entered that lane - they're designed to enter at the speed limit.
When turning left into a multi-lane road that has a merging lane, use it. Don't wait to cross over to the lane you want to be in.
Never merge into another lane by crossing a solid line or where this is a painted traffic island.
Don't lose your cool. Stay calm.

It's important to take care when merging, don't make it a drag race, watch what is happening around you, avoid sudden lane swerving and be aware of the road rules to stay as safe as possible on the road.

Share this article