When merging onto a freeway, what is crucial to remember?

When merging onto a freeway, matching your speed to the traffic is crucial for several reasons. This practice helps ensure a smooth and safe merging process, as it minimizes the likelihood of collisions or disruptions in traffic flow. By aligning your speed with that of the vehicles already on the freeway, you can more easily find a gap to merge into without forcing other drivers to adjust their speeds drastically. It promotes safety for both yourself and other road users, as unexpected speed variations can lead to hazardous situations.

The other choices present practices that could lead to issues while merging. For instance, not using your mirrors prevents you from being aware of surrounding vehicles, thereby increasing the likelihood of an accident. Merging from any lane can create confusion and disrupt the orderly flow of traffic, as freeways have designated lanes for merging. Staying below the speed limit while merging may also create dangerous conditions, as it can prevent a driver from safely entering the traffic stream. Hence, adjusting your speed to match that of the traffic is the most effective and safe approach when merging onto a freeway.