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Usually these lights are far away from the actual merging region. I really can't imagine completely stopping before merging unless the lanes on highway are stopped as well or it is stop and go traffic.
Same here. I can think of quite a few onramps where I live that have lights at the entrance to the ramp, but the ramp meters/lights cited by TexasHorseLady are the same - at the top of the ramp, not at the merge point. (And I have driven all over the US including some other countries, including driving a semi from coast to coast to and through every state.)
I cannot imagine a situation where it would be safe to come to a complete stop at the merge point onto the freeway, unless the freeway traffic is also stopped or crawling along.
Everyone who stated that freeway traffic has the right of way is correct; from both a legal and common-sense standpoint, the onus is on the merging driver to adjust to freeway speed, not the other way around. Sure, if the person on the freeway has the space to make way for the merging driver, that's courteous and good defensive driving...but there's no obligation to do so.
I rarely encounter what I would call aggressive driving. Most of the poor and irritating driving I encounter is of the clueless and gormless type. The driver who meanders on to the freeway without adjusting speed, signalling or even checking mirrors. The lost souls tootling along in the middle or left lane at 55 mph when the speed limit is 70. The ones driving when it's snowing with snow piled on their tail and headlights, with the lights off, never once signalling their intent. The ones driving steadily right in my blind spot, or ten feet from my bumper. In other words, the people who apparently view their car as a mere appliance with one stop pedal, one go pedal, and a thingamabob that allows them to steer.
All you need to drive safely is use your common sense which will immediately lead you to "share" road with others. This will make you to slow down in left lane, go over the speed limit, go under the speed limit, forget about right of way at times, ignore some %^& on the roads who think they own the road and so on.
Usually these lights are far away from the actual merging region. I really can't imagine completely stopping before merging unless the lanes on highway are stopped as well or it is stop and go traffic.
they're not that far though there's some room. though it's hard to judge distance from street view:
Are you saying no one ever had to adjust even a bit when you merged - you must be kidding if you think that is true. And this is my point - I am not saying people should jump in front of others all I am saying is that I have right of way and I will not be bothered by people who are merging is pure BS.
I didn't say that, and I don't disagree with this post. I disagreed with the earlier one. Of course, you sometimes need to slow down slightly, but it is still the merging cars responsibility to match the existing speed of traffic already on the road to the best of their vehicle's ability.
The on-ramp has an ACCELERATION LANE!! You should never stop on an on-ramp, regardless of the traffic! How fast could you get up to highway speeds (which could be 55-70 mph) from a complete stop? Unless you are driving a supercharged V-8, it will take you over 8 seconds most of the time. Only time you stop is when there is a "yield" sign or a "stop" sign. I highly doubt that any of those will be on an interstate on-ramp. The only time I've ever seen the aforemetioned signs are on arterial-to-arterial interchanges, never onto an interstate. Please look in a Traffic Engineering book before you state such nonsense. Just adjust your speed, and prepare yourself before you enter onto an interstate. The car that is on the interstate should be looking at least 10-12 seconds ahead, and paying attention so that they could manuever accordingly.
Way to not pay attention the situation being discussed! We were discussing on-ramps that do not have adequate acceleration lanes. BTW, plenty of on-ramps have Yield signs on them. Do you merge on the freeway as oblivious to the traffic already on the road as you are to the subject being discussed?
If there's no room to merge, you stop. And wait. Then put foot to pedal. Otherwise you may cause an accident because you'll merge into a car.
Both New York and Conneticut have a number of limited access roads (parkways) with lights on the onramps. Lights turn red mainly at rush hour.
They also have them here in chicago, but they are far enough back where it allows the driver to ACCELERATE befor merging. Tell me where a signal is right at the bottom of an on-ramp? The purpose of those is to anticipate a certain queue in the traffic. But, it doesn't always work accordingly.
Way to not pay attention the situation being discussed! We were discussing on-ramps that do not have adequate acceleration lanes. BTW, plenty of on-ramps have Yield signs on them. Do you merge on the freeway as oblivious to the traffic already on the road as you are to the subject being discussed?
Ignoramus, I was arguing a point which came up in a certain reply. I dare you to stop on an on-ramp when you see cars coming at 55-70 mph, unless you have a porsche or lambo. See if you don't cause a wreck.
Same here. I can think of quite a few onramps where I live that have lights at the entrance to the ramp, but the ramp meters/lights cited by TexasHorseLady are the same - at the top of the ramp, not at the merge point. (And I have driven all over the US including some other countries, including driving a semi from coast to coast to and through every state.)
I cannot imagine a situation where it would be safe to come to a complete stop at the merge point onto the freeway, unless the freeway traffic is also stopped or crawling along. /
Thank you, thats all I was saying. TexasHorseLady didn't think when she said that. Read between the lines THL, of course I know that they have these signals, but they are in place to regulate the flow of traffic, not make the traffic come to a complete stop for merging purposes.
If you're in the DC area then you can see what I mean on Route 50 in Arlington where traffic from Northbound 27 is entering Westbound 50. You can see it on Eastbound 50 where the entrance ramp from Rosslyn has no merge area, or the exit to the GW Parkway southbound from 395 Northbound. If you're on those ramps, you had better stop if there is no gap. There's often no way to slow down for enteroing traffic in those locations. The person entering is responsible for any accident caused if they don't.
You will be able to get on if you stop. There will eventually be a gap.
The problem in DC and the NoVA area is the road system is 70+ years old and not designed with modern traffic in mind. Until the old systems are replaced with modern, safer systems (long acceleration lanes, deceleration lanes, and transfers that you can drive at speed), there will always be risks and problems for drivers on those roads.
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