Merging from an on-ramp
Highways / Main roads · Alberta Class 5 road test
Hold ramp speed on the ramp, reach main-road speed in the acceleration lane, find a gap past the solid line and merge
Watch the interactive demoHow to drive it
80 km/h three-lane eastbound road with a grass median on the left, a 50 km/h ramp joining at an angle, the view following your car: 47 km/h on the ramp + entering the acceleration lane, signal left, shoulder check left, accelerate hard up to 77 + check your mirror, shoulder check left + past the solid line, up to speed and the car behind far enough back, move over into the right lane + signal off; the car behind in the right lane sees you speeding up in the acceleration lane and eases off to leave room (a shared responsibility)
Common mistakes
Didn't speed up in the acceleration lane
Road test: automatic fail — L9 Obstructs traffic, G2 Too slow for conditions
You merged at 47 km/h into traffic moving at 77 km/h, and the car behind on the main road had to brake hard. The acceleration lane is for speeding up: once in it, accelerate hard to match the speed of main-road traffic, then merge; merge into an 80 km/h road at ramp speed and the car behind closes in 30 km/h faster, so if it can't brake in time it's a rear-end crash, and the examiner counts it as obstructing traffic.
Watch this mistake →Stopped at the end of the acceleration lane
Road test: automatic fail — L12 Lacks skill and control
You stopped at the end of the acceleration lane and merged from a standstill once the road behind was clear. Never stop in the acceleration lane: the car behind expects you to keep going, and stopping may get you rear-ended. If there's traffic on the main road, don't stop and wait; ease off, let it pass and merge when a gap opens. The length of the acceleration lane is there for you to adjust your speed and pick a gap.
Watch this mistake →Related scenarios
- Lane change on a main roadSignal, mirror, shoulder check; change lanes at a steady speed to pass a slow car
- Left turn off a main road (double turn lanes)Hold the speed limit in the through lane, slow down only in the left turn lane; double left turn on the arrow