Entering the interstate — Tennessee Permit Test

When entering an interstate, use the merging or acceleration lane to speed up and merge with traffic already on it.

Joining at a crawl forces fast cars to brake hard behind you. Matching speed lets you slip in.

You must use the merging or acceleration lane to speed up and merge with fast-moving traffic already on the interstate.

Do not drive to the end of an on-ramp and stop; you will not have room to get up to interstate speed.

The driver behind you is watching the highway for a gap, not you, and can hit you from the rear.

Do not drive to the end of the ramp and stop, or you will not have enough room to get up to the speed of the interstate traffic.

If you have to wait for space to enter, slow down on the ramp so you still have room to speed up before merging.

Slowing early on the ramp keeps a runway in front of you. Stopping at the end leaves none.

If you have to wait for space to enter an interstate, slow down on the ramp so that you will still have some room to speed up before you have to merge.

When entering an interstate, it is your responsibility to yield the right-of-way to cars already on it.

Cars on the interstate are at full speed. If you force your way in, they cannot stop.

It is your responsibility to yield the right-of-way to other cars on the interstate.

Give a left turn signal to show you need to enter the traffic lane from the on-ramp.

The signal tells drivers in the right lane to make room or move over for you.

Be sure to give the proper left turn signal to indicate your need to enter the traffic lane.

A "lane added" sign means the on-ramp becomes a new lane, so entering traffic does not need to merge right away; traffic already on the interstate should avoid moving right there.

Drivers coming up the ramp are not watching for a car to move into their new lane.

The on-ramp becomes a new lane and the entering traffic does not need to merge immediately.

A regular "merge" sign means traffic from the right must merge into the existing right lane; drivers on the interstate should watch for it.

Unlike a lane added, here the entering car has to squeeze into your lane, so leave room.

The regular “merge” sign means that the traffic coming from the right is going to need to merge into the existing right hand traffic lane.

What is the acceleration lane on an interstate on-ramp for?

Speeding up to merge with traffic. Joining at a crawl forces fast cars to brake hard behind you. Matching speed lets you slip in. Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, p.68: “You must use the merging or acceleration lane to speed up and merge with fast-moving traffic already on the interstate.”