How can you safely merge onto a highway?

Merging onto a highway safely requires matching the speed of the existing traffic and signaling your intentions. This approach allows you to seamlessly enter the flow of traffic, ensuring that you do not create hazards for yourself or other drivers. By aligning your speed to that of the traffic already on the highway, you enhance your chances of merging successfully without forcing other drivers to adjust their speed or direction unexpectedly.

Signaling your intentions is equally important as it communicates to other drivers that you plan to merge, giving them the opportunity to adjust their speed or position if necessary. This combination of speed matching and signaling helps maintain a safe driving environment for everyone on the road.

The other options may lead to dangerous situations. Increasing speed aggressively and cutting in can cause accidents due to abrupt changes in speed. Merging without signaling fails to inform other drivers of your intentions, increasing the risk of collision. Finally, merging only during heavy traffic is not practical, as it can create disorganization and impede the flow of traffic. Safe merging is about smooth transitions, which can be achieved more efficiently with appropriate speed and signaling.