- We're learning to drive.
Some traffic situations may not present themselves
for weeks or even months.
Driving on a highway at night
in the rain, for example, may not be encountered
for a very long time.
In Arielle's fourth lesson,
lane merging presented itself,
and she learned that she had to be both proactive
and predictable on the roadway.
Stick around. We'll be right back with that information.
(upbeat music)
- In Western Brook Pond is, so in Newfoundland they call.
So you're too far.
You're too deep into the intersection.
- Didn't know.
You needed to be, back there front tires
in the front crosswalk line.
- Okay. (turn signals clicking)
(engine revving)
So they call lakes, ponds.
So Western Brook Pond is actually a lake.
- [Arielle] Mmhmm.
- And then you got to move back over
to the right immediately.
Okay? Do it after the crosswalk.
Now, change lanes. (turn signals clicking)
- Do you want me to turn here - No.
- Or keep going straight?
- I want you to go straight.
Go straight.
- [Arielle] And then I have to merge?
(engine revving)
- [Rick] Center's better. (turn signals clicking)
There you go. Dig in behind him.
Don't slow down, get your foot into it.
You need to actually speed up.
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- You know, you don't want an accident?
- An accident? (engine revving)
Is that like when you stub your toe
on the coffee table?
Okay. What are you doing?
(turn signals clicking)
You got a plan here.
It doesn't look like you have a plan at all.
- I'm going to,...
- [Rick] You better get your foot into it.
- [Arielle] Oh, wait.
- [Rick] You just failed your driver's test.
- [Arielle] Oh my God!
- [Rick] That was terrible.
- (laughs) No one's going to let me go.
- [Rick] No, you completely botched that.
- [Arielle] (laughs) Sorry.
- You completely botched that.
- [Arielle] I'm sorry.
(scoffs)
- [Rick] You know what? You know what happened?
- [Arielle] Um, I was going to put my foot into it,
but then he was too close.
(turn signals clicking)
(turn signals clicking continues)
- [Arielle] (laughs) Maybe don't put that one in the video.
- [Rick] (laughs) That's exactly what the kids
want to see in the video. - [Arielle] No, don't.
Trust me.
- [Arielle] Don't put that.
- [Rick] That's totally what they want to see
because that was uh, - Shhh.
- You know what your mistake was?
- [Arielle] Um, I waited too long.
- [Rick] No. Your mistake started at the red light.
- That I didn't switch lanes right away?
- [Rick] No. What was your mistake off the red light?
- Um, I started off too slow?
- [Rick] No. - [Arielle] I don't know.
- [Rick] You were too busy looking at the red light
and just going instead of figuring out that
that guy was sitting right beside you
and instead of deciding right at the light,
when you already knew that guy was there,
you didn't decide whether you're going to go
in front of him,
you were going to throttle up
and go in front of him
or go in behind him.
And you just sat there until it merged,
and then it was too late.
'Cause you hadn't made a decision.
You just hope on a wing and a prayer
that he was going to let you in.
- [Arielle] Yeah
- [Rick] You got to be, when it comes to driving,
you got to be proactive.
By the time you come off the light,
you've seen the merge.
That's when you make your decision,
am I going in front of this person,
this car beside me? Or I'm going behind?
Cause driving, you can't be reactive in driving.
We're going to turn right here.
(turn signals clicking)
(engine revving)
So that's the thing with lane changes and lane merges.
- [Arielle] Okay.
- And don't beat yourself up.
This is all part of learning to drive
'cause driving is not easy, (laughs) Okay?
And it's not a science.
You can read all the road rules, right?
But that kind of thing is a bit of an art.
- Yeah.
- [Rick] So we'll turn and go through
the parking lot here.
(turn signals clicking)
'Cause I want to work on this a little bit more today.
- Okay, what way? Do you want me to go there?
- No, I want you to go left.
- Okay.
- [Rick] The dreaded lap because I'm going to make you work
on lane changes. (turn signals clicking)
'Cause I'm such a big meanie. (laughs)
(Arielle laughs)
But you got to admit, I'm slightly amusing.
- (Arielle laughs) What?
- Okay, signal back to the right.
(turn signals clicking)
There you go! Nice!
(Arielle laughs)
Nice. And it's not just you,
All new drivers are like that.
All new drivers want to slow down
on the lane change.
So it's not just you.
- [Arielle] Okay.
- [Rick] But I know that doesn't make you feel any better.
You're like, "I am so cool. I am so smart.
Why can't I get this?"
(Arielle laughs)
- [Arielle] Yeah.
- [Rick] I would say I'm the same.
- Yeah.
- Did you hear me yell at the computer?
- [Arielle] Okay.
- [Rick] This is not that hard.
- [Arielle] What? The other day?
- Oh, today I was trying to fill out the form
to submit copyright infringement to Amazon.
I'm like, "This isn't this hard. This form is terrible."
(inhales sharply)
Finally I called them.
- [Arielle] You should call them instead.
- [Rick] Yeah, I just called them
and said I'd like to report a copyright infringer.
I'll send you the thing.
Switch back to the left.
(turn signals clicking)
Very nice.
- Thank you.
- So going back to the merge,
so it goes into one lane,
- [Arielle] Mmhmm.
- Or as soon as you figure out that it's a merge,
pick your spot,
- [Arielle] Yeah. - [Rick] okay?
I'm going to go in front of this person.
I'm going to go in front of that person.
I'm going to go behind this vehicle.
- Yeah.
- [Rick] And then that way,
you've got something to aim for, right?
And if the person does something stupid where they decide,
"No, I'm not going to let you in."
And they start speeding up, right?
Then just let off the throttle a little bit
and then just pull in behind him
because if they speed up,
they're doing you a favor.
- Yeah.
Right? 'Cause now they're pissing off
and all you got to do is let your foot off the throttle
and just pull in behind them.
- Yeah.
- Okay?
(turn signals clicking)
But with lane mergers, you got to be a bit,
you got to, well, not a bit.
You have to be proactive.
So just pick your hall and then go for it.
Hang on there one sec.
The thought of failing your driver's test (scoffs)
is what keeps you up at night right now.
Click the link over here.
Check out the Smarter Driver Course Package
that guarantees that you
will pass your driver's test first time.
Click the link and check that out and have a great day.
All the best. Bye now.