Driving PSA *blink*

[PepperElf]

I was driving home today and heard a PSA about merging propery - especially when dealing with trucks.

The PSA claimed that the cops are going to be out watching for this and will ticket if you merge too closely to another vehicle, or if you cut someone off etc.

Whether or not they'll really be out there, I don't know, but I found the "advice" part interesting.

Their advice? Make sure you see "both headlights on the truck" in the rear-view mirror fully before you merge in front of them.

Me: Really? Seriously?

Both of us here have a pretty simple rule about cutting in front of a truck. We don't wait to see both headlights. We wait to see the ENTIRE CAB in the mirror. And that's our *minimum*.

Granted most times when merging onto a road that's not a problem. Most trucks pull to the left to let us in, and if they can't we just wait until they're clear to scoot in. So most times we're not pulling in front of them except when making lane changes.

But … "both headlights" - that's too close for comfort for us. Those things don't stop on a dime. I'd rather give them a lot of room. It makes it easier on them gas-wise (no need to slow down to avoid me) and safer for both vehicles.

[Pimento]

At least People merge there. In my city, people just stop at the beginning of the merge and wait. I usually just end up flowing right past them horn honking.

[bhskittykatt]

I was taught the same thing in driver's ed. You want to see the whole cab if it's a semi. The headlights rule is usually sufficient for personal vehicles, but for semis you want the whole cab, and motorcycles you want to see the whole bike.

[Chromatix]

I'm going to hazard a guess that waiting for both headlights would still be an improvement for many drivers.

[Food Lady]

I am overly cautious. I wait until I'm miles ahead of it. And even then I'm hesitant.

[sms001]

I totally agree PE. Maybe their thinking is that so many people are doing it so incorrectly that that kind of distance will at least be some improvement?

(ETA: oops, missed Chromatix. Yeah, that.)

I've usually got the vehicle I'll be moving in front of picked out from near the top of the ramp when seeing allows, so barring the occasional ash-hat that speeds up at the last minute, i get plenty of room, even if it means fudging the speed limit a tad.

Both my mother and her sister-in-law got their DLs later in life. My mom did OK, for a subway and bus her whole life sort. The S-i-L was a different story. She couldn't merge for love or money. We actually put her at the top of ramp and then drove three vehicles (myself and two cousins) past the bottom of it out in a rural area for about an hour one day to give her the confidence boost she needed to commit.

She took us all for ice cream.