Freeway driving — Oregon Permit Test

When entering a freeway you use the on-ramp to speed up and merge with fast-moving traffic, and you must yield to traffic already on the freeway.

It is the reverse of every other entry, where you slow or stop. Arriving slow means merging into traffic doing twice your speed.

Use the freeway on-ramp to speed up and merge with fast-moving traffic already on the road.

Weaving through traffic increases the risk of a collision and seldom saves time, and a driver below the flow of traffic must use the right lane.

The time weaving saves is measured in seconds over a journey; the risk it adds is measured in every lane change.

Weaving through traffic increases the risk of a collision and seldom saves time.

If you spot traffic slowing ahead on a freeway, lightly tap your brake pedal several times to alert drivers behind you.

At freeway speed the driver behind cannot see past you, so your brake lights are the only warning they get before the line of traffic.

If you spot traffic slowing ahead, lightly tap your brake pedal several times to alert drivers behind you.

If you start to enter a freeway the wrong way, a do not enter or wrong way sign warns you: pull off to the side of the ramp immediately, stop, turn on your hazard lights, and cautiously turn around or back off the ramp.

The instinct is to keep going and find somewhere to turn. On a ramp that puts you head-on into traffic that cannot stop.

Immediately pull off to the side of the ramp and stop. Turn on your hazard lights to warn other vehicles. Cautiously turn around or back off the ramp.

At a ramp meter only one vehicle may proceed each time the green light comes on, and a ramp meter that appears dark is not in use — do not stop at it.

Stopping at a dark meter leaves the driver behind you braking on a ramp where everyone is accelerating to merge.

Ramp meters will appear dark when not in use. Do not stop at a dark ramp meter.

When leaving a freeway, signal well ahead, maintain your speed until you are off the freeway, and begin slowing to the posted advisory speed once on the exit ramp.

Braking on the freeway itself puts a slow vehicle in a fast lane. The ramp is where the speed comes off.

When you leave a freeway, turn on your signal well ahead of time. Maintain your speed until you are off the freeway. Once on the exit ramp, begin slowing to the posted advisory speed.

Never stop or back up on a freeway, the shoulder is only for emergencies, and if you miss your exit you go on to the next one.

Backing up to a missed exit is how a minor navigation error becomes a head-on collision at freeway speed.

If you miss your exit, go to the next one.

With vehicle trouble on a freeway, move to the right shoulder or emergency stopping area, turn on your hazard lights, and if possible stay in or near your vehicle on the side away from traffic.

Walking a freeway is more dangerous than waiting in a stopped car, and the far side of the vehicle is the only shelter there is.

If possible, it is better to stay in or near your vehicle on the side away from traffic. Walking along a freeway is dangerous.

What must a driver do on a freeway on-ramp?

Speed up to merge. It is the reverse of every other entry, where you slow or stop. Arriving slow means merging into traffic doing twice your speed. 2026-2027 Oregon Driver Manual, p.34: “Use the freeway on-ramp to speed up and merge with fast-moving traffic already on the road.”