There are a lot of things that can be challenging about driving, but few things are as challenging or dangerous as changing lanes. In the Bronx alone, almost 120 sideswipe accidents occurred in a 12-month period, with almost all of them being same-direction sideswipes.
Other types of accidents can occur due to bad lane-changing etiquette. Not to mention, if you aren’t confident or you don’t know the rules of changing lanes, you will find that you’re extremely stressed out behind the wheel. That’s not good for your safety either!
Whether you’re on the interstate or in the middle of a congested road in the city, these five tips will help keep you from getting into an accident, and they will help build your confidence when changing lanes.
Pass in the Left Lane
One of the very first things you should know and take to heart is the fact that the left lane is almost always considered the passing lane. This is where faster drivers go to pass people in the right lane. This is an especially important rule to follow on the interstate where slow truck drivers are the norm.
Don’t be that one person who decides to go for a joy ride in the left lane. If you’re passing someone, get the job done, and then merge back into the right lane, even if you’re approaching another slow car. It’s better to avoid road rage by allowing others who are going faster than you to go around you, even if it means returning to the right lane just to end up passing in the left lane again.
Know Who Has the Right of Way
Do you know who has the right of way when you’re driving on a multi-lane road? Normally this isn’t a hugely important consideration, as traffic flows naturally from lane to lane, but what if one person on the right wants to merge to the center lane at the same time someone from the left lane does?
Most right-of-way traffic laws state that the person on the right has the right of way, but in this case, it’s actually the person on the left. That’s because people in the left lane are trying to yield to faster traffic, or they’re trying to get over to prepare for an exit.
If you’re on a multi-lane road, make sure you know what’s going on to your left before you switch lanes.
Check Your Blind Spots
Your car has a few different blind spot areas. They include:
- Side-view blind spots
- Rear-view blind spots
- A-pillar blind spots
Drivers find it especially difficult to manage rear-view blind spots, as it requires you to crane your neck around to see out the back window, while many drivers don’t even realize that A-pillar blind spots can be an issue.
Know where your car’s blind spots are and check them every time you’re preparing to merge. If you have a newer vehicle with blind spot monitoring, use it!
Don’t Keep Others From Merging
Have you ever been in traffic with one lane closed, and the jerks in that lane try and merge at the last minute? Although it can be frustrating, and it can feel unfair, don’t speed ahead and tailgate the person in front of you to keep them from merging.
Not only can this increase your chances of getting into an accident, it’s actually the most efficient way to combine traffic from two lanes. Called the zipper merge, it allows both lanes to slow down slightly, instead of causing one lane to slow down severely, reducing the length of backed up traffic by as much as 40 percent.
Plan Ahead
Planning ahead when merging lanes means checking your blind spots. It means signaling so other drivers know you’re planning to merge, but it also means knowing where you’re going.
Use the GPS if you have to, but know exactly when and where your turn is. It is important on the highway where there may not be any turn lanes, but it’s also important on massive highways with multiple lanes of traffic. It could take you a while to merge multiple times until you arrive in the far right lane!
Whether you’re in town or on the interstate, it’s important to know how to change lanes, and how to do it safely. With these tips, you can merge like a pro, keeping you, your family, and other drivers on the road safe.
