[TITLE - Merging Mania - MUSIC]
Hi there smart drivers. Rick with Smart Drive Test talking to you today about
merging mania. It is a fundamental skill for both passing a road test and
remaining crash free for your driving career now just before we get started
here be sure to hit that subscribe button... just about there. That way you'll get
access to all of the information for those of you working towards a license
or starting a career as a truck or bus driver. As well, be sure to hit that bell.
That way you'll get instant notification when I get the videos available for you.
Now merging! As I said, it's one of the fundamental skills for both passing a
road test and remaining crash free during your driving career. And I've had
questions from smart drivers repeatedly, again and again, in the last year and a
half that I've been working hard on the Smart Drive Test channel here, whether he
or she can stop on the acceleration lane. And let me just repeat definitively... NOOOO!!
Do not ever stop on the acceleration lane. Once you're on that acceleration
lane where the white lines go from solid to dotted, you are committed to merging
out onto the highway, the freeway or the motorway. So make sure you go. So what
I've done is I've taken video footage from the last 18 months of my dashcam in
Toronto, and Kamloops, and Vernon, on Vancouver Island, and in Vancouver--the
City of Vancouver, which are all big cities and lots of merging - other
vehicles merging, myself merging. And I've put them all together in a collage so
you can watch these and watch how other people merge successfully out onto the
highway. And you will see that in none of this footage do vehicles ever stop on
the acceleration lane, even when traffic is at a crawl in Toronto. They simply
come down the on-ramp, signal early, match the speed of the traffic flow on the
highway ,and then the other vehicles on the roadway help them to merge onto the
highway, roadway and motorway by creating a space for the vehicles that are
merging. As I've said before, driving is a social activity and if you ask nicely by
putting your signal on early and also other vehicles see you coming down the
on-ramp and on the acceleration lane they're gonna move over; they're gonna
slow down and help create a space for you in which you can merge into. So have
a look at the video footage here and learn from that information.
There is lots of different configurations: you'll see that some of them have really
long on-ramps, which allow you to get speed with ample acceleration
lanes and then some of the other ones have shorter on-ramps and much much shorter
acceleration lanes. As well, and just as a side note this is not a "passing a road
test." There's some stuff here that you can't do on a road test, but it will keep
you safe during the course of your driving career. So just that caveat that
there are some different techniques that you have to put in place for merging, but
it will keep you safe over the course of your driving career. So stick around,
we'll be right back with that information.
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to the right I'm gonna get off on this road here. Again it's gonna be less
well-traveled and not as plowed. And again I slowed down before the curve and
then I turned. And I accelerate I get a bit of power to the wheels here because
this road obviously hasn't been plowed at all.
it looks like the sander made an attempt to sort of get down here.
[MUSIC - MEAN STREETZ]
[JACK REACHER AUDIO BOOK PLAYING ON CD PLAYER]
that we were coming up to an intersection, because of the cross-
traffic on the other road and the vehicle was at the brake lights - we knew
before we even got there that we don't have stop here, but nice and slow going around the
corner here. You can see that I'm only doing 30 kilometers an hour and I'm
working the steering wheel and I working the throttle.
[MUSIC - MEAN STREETZ :: CHILDREN TALKING IN BACKSEAT]
[CBC RADIO PLAYING - HOCKEY PLAYER PROMOTING SPORTS FOR KIDS]
[MUSIC - MEAN STREETZ]
Bhryn stop it!! Dragon you don't need to yell.
Bhyrn give it back! Daddy, Bhyrn's not giving back what I asked!
Bear, stop annoying your sister!
[MUSIC - MEAN STREETZ]
Quick review of merging mania. As you saw there in the collage of video footage of
merging no one stops on the acceleration lane. When they're merging out onto the
highway, freeway or motorway regardless of how fast the the traffic is moving
along the highway, motorway or a freeway. As you saw in the backed up traffic
there in Toronto, they simply come down the on-ramp on the acceleration lane,
match the speed of the flow of traffic and move over. And early signalling is
going to help you to ask the vehicles--the drivers on the roadway, highway or
freeway or motorway to help you create a space. or they're going to move over and
allow you to merge onto the highway, freeway, or a motorway. So it's a team
event. And you need to signal early and match the flow of traffic on the roadway.
And if you're in Canada here and there isn't a whole lot of traffic that flow
of traffic is going to be a bit higher than the posted speed limit. If you're in
the US, it's going to be ten--five to ten miles an hour--if you're here in Canada
it's gonna be ten to fifteen kilometres an hour
above the posted speed limit is what the flow of traffic is going to be. So that
was a wide range of different types of on ramps and acceleration lanes.
Sometimes the acceleration lane, as you saw there, was really long where the
solid white lines are and you can get up to speed and then it's not as imperative
that you go all the way down the acceleration lane to get up to the
posted speed limit. Now as well, again the caveat was is that this was not for the
purposes of passing a road test. Remember, for the purposes of a road test stay on
the acceleration lane till the end of the acceleration lane, get right to the posted speed limit and then
move over. Because this is just general driving of how I do it
most days. And you were watching other vehicles as well in the dashcam footage
there. So just know that; that if you're studying for a road test
make sure you stay the posted speed limit. So that you're not exceeding that
because if you do on a road test, unfortunately you're not going to be
successful. Question for my smart drivers: was this collage of merging videos in
different weather types, light conditions and different places in Canada here was
this helpful for you? Leave a comment down in the
comment section there - all of that helps out the new drivers working towards
getting experience and staying a crash free during their driving career. If you
like what you see here share, subscribe leave a comment down in the comment
section. As well, hit that thumbs up button. Check out all the videos here on
the channel if you're working towards a license or starting your career as a
truck or bus driver - lots of great information here. As well, head over to
the Smart Drive Test website. More great information over there and online
courses that you can purchase. All of the online courses are guaranteed PASS your
road test - 30-day money-back guarantee. As well, right now look down in description:
there's 30% off PASS YOUR road test first-time. It's a course for new drivers
and you will be successful on your road test - 60-day money-back guarantee if you
don't pass first-time. Within 60 days I'll give you your money back. And it's
30% off right now. Get the coupon down in the description and plug that into the
coupon box in the form over at the website.
The course sells $38.94 and with that coupon you'll get it for about $20.00. I'm
Rick with Smart Drive Test. Thanks very much for watching. Good luck on your road
test. And remember pick the best answer not necessarily the right answer. Have a
great day. Bye now.
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[MOTIONING FOR CHILDREN TO GO OUTSIDE AND BE QUIET - FILMING IN PROGRESS]
hi there smart....hi there smart hi there smart drivers. Rick with Smart Drive
Test talking...hi there
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