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Originally Posted by KnifeMissile
Well, that's funny. I was taught in driving school, very specifically that, in the province of Ontario and as a matter of law, the driver merging with the highway has the right of way and the people on the highway must yield to them. Do you live in the US? If so, I'm surprised our driving laws can differ this much, considering how free we are to drive across the border.
Oh, and if the guy in front of you slamming the breaks can result in a collision, you were driving too close! |
Actually it was on the 401 at Division Street in Kingston. And yes, the cop told me the merging traffic do not have the right of way. How the accident occured was the guy in front actually stepped on it to get by but must have realized he wouldn't make it so instead he almost came to a dead stop. The car merging was going slow. We (the traffic flow were all spaced equally doing about 65 mph. My left lane had a stream of cars passing the the rest of us in the right lane)
I agree that when it is safe to change lanes, do so to let people on. But one lane grinding to a halt to let a slow poke have the right of way is wrong. At least the cop and the judge reiterated that to me. My old handbook I used to learn the rules of the road stated if one cannot get on safely, to proceed to the oncoming shoulder, stop and wait until it's safe to merge. Was even taught that in drivers ed. in high school. Before my court date, I even called the local OPP because so many people told me what you have told me. The OPP told me what I'm telling you.
And again this same cop mentioned 90% of accidents on the highway happen at highway onramps because of this misunderstanding.
But do you know who has it right? The State Of Vermont. If you drive on the I-89 you actually see yield signs where people are merging onto the highways, for those about to merge.