In the United States, the freeway traffic always has the right of way. The freeway traffic is under no obligation to slow down or change lanes to accomodate merging traffic. It is only done as a courtesy and countermeasure to avoid possible accidents. If two freeways merge, then it is highly likely that one of the merging lanes is cautioned to yield to the other - if not there would be no way to uphold who is at fault in a traffic court case in this situation.

Freeway traffic always has the right of way. As previously stated, many drivers move over if they can. I drive a tractor-trailer and sometimes that is not possible if there is a vehicle running alongside the truck. Many times, the merging driver cannot see this situation; this creates a dangerous situation at times.

freeway traffic ( who has the "yield" sign)? the entry ramp, right?

The previous three answers are all correct. I would add that the word merge means blend in--not force your way in. To merge, you find a hole in the traffic and match speeds. It is very difficult to both keep behind the car ahead and ahead of the car behind, but if you will just ignore the car behind you in the hole and concentrate on accelerating as rapidly as necessary to get right behind the car ahead, it becomes fairly easy and not nerve-wracking.

I am a truck driver and I try my best to move over when people are trying to merge in. If I cannot move over, I will keep my same speed and continue driving. This is where alot of mistakes happen from the merger. Almost everytime I have a merger beside me, they try to speed up and get infront of me, causeing me to brake and worry if the person behind me is noticing me having to brake for the inconsiderate person how just had to get infront of me. I have had it where the merger wouldn't slow down AT ALL and noticed he was driving on the shoulder beside me when the merge lane ended! Just coudln't slow down and get behind me. And I'm the one who get the finger shot at me! People have to relise, a truck cannot stop as fast as cars. If you want to play with death and gain 10 more seconds by risking your life to get infront of the transport instead of slowing down, letting the truck by, then merge behind it then so be it.

Merging traffic always has to yield, on freeways and everywhere else. However, there are a lot of idiots who don't understand this, especially in situation where two lanes merge into one, and will just run into you if you don't move. In that situation, if you don't want the hassle of a minor accident (although you will not be at fault; they will be cited for failure to yield and generally have to pay for all damages), all you can do is move over or slow down -- but you should feel free to use horn and middle finger to educate them.

The fastest car on the right side.

People always seem to confuse merge with yield. Look at the signs. If two lanes of a road merge and the sign says "lane ends merge left (or right)" it means merge, not yield. The term merge means to join together as one, not yield until someone lets you in and then join. The car ahead (in relation to front bumpers), no matter what lane they are in, has the right of way and the car behind simply falls in behind, and the car behind them does the same etc. until everyone has merged. The two lanes are both becoming one but, because the road signs are drawn as simply as possible it makes it appear as if one lane is ending and the other is continuing on thus causing people in the "continuing on" lane to assume that they have the right-of-way. If a sign says yield, as it almost always does when a lane is entering a freeway, it is no longer a merge and the lane must yield to the flow of traffic.

the person that is alread ON the freeway

judge jeff needs to read the sign again . on the freeway it says "RIGHT or LEFT lane merging" not just merging traffic. it is not the fastest car. in any situation the vehicle(car, truck, even police cars not on emergency) must yeild to the traffic in the lane they are trying to enter!

A.R.S 28.771 states "A vehicle entering a freeway from an acceleration lane, a ramp or any other approach road shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle on the main roadway of the freeway entering the merging area at the same time."

i've just finished traffic school and i learned from there that vehicles on the main highway have right of way...is that so? LOL!

The freeway traffic, of course. Those merging MUST yield the right of way to them. (And if a "hole" between two cars is only big enough for a VW, don't try to force a Lincoln into it.)

that advice would be great if this goofy website would ever confirm my existance

Merging means to enter the flow of traffic without impeding the speed of the existing traffic. You either go in front of the traffic or behind the traffic. Do not expect the traffic to lane change to allow you to enter the traffic lane that they have the right to travel in. Merging means a smooth entry to an existing traffic flow. So says an experienced truck driver with one million miles of accident free travel.

I do - so remember it! keep smilling

I think the vehicle in motion. But they should or are suppose to move to the next lane, to allow the merging vehicles, access to the far right lane to keep traffic flowing. It upsets me when vehicles dont move over(when they can)to allow others to merge. Seems that the big 18 wheelers are the worse for working with a merging vehicle. Im sure its hard for them, but damn....also, I realize the freeway has the right away, but a merge means to work with oncoming traffic to keep traffic flowing in a safe way. If it were a yield sign, then the oncoming or merging traffic is expected to slow down or even stop, until there's a place to move. And in a yield situation, the traveling traffic doesnt have to make an effort to allow others to merge, unless they act on kindness & allow others to go ahead. Usually this is how most drivers work it. Every other one will let some one go, until it works its way out.

If you are merging onto the freeway from the on-ramp, you have the right of way. The drivers already on the freeway have to let you on.

The vehicles on the freeway!

The vehicles that are entering the highway DO NOT have right-of-way to vehicles already traveling on that highway. Also, on ramps where there are exits, and entering ramps together, the traffic entering STILL has to merge for the traffic that is exiting the freeway. TO INFORM, if I am cruising down the highway, and I see a vehicle (car or semi) trying to merge onto the highway I will move over if I can if you have your left signal on. If your signal IS NOT ON, well, enjoy riding the shoulder, and you had better not hit my truck! There was a lady in Chicago that tried this, I could NOT get over and she hit the right side of my tractor, and ended up paying for a new running board, paint, a new front rim because it was scratched, lug nut covers, LED lights, and chrome and HER CAR new left mirror, left fender, probably more.. My bill came just short of $9,000. I'm sure state farm wasn't happy with her. TRUCKS ARE NOT TOYS, THEY CAN KILL YOU EASILLY AT 80,000 POUNDS TO YOUR 3,000 POUNDS! DRIVE SMART AROUND TRUCKS. WE WANT YOU TO GET HOME SAFELY TO YOUR FAMILIES AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO GET HOME TO OURS!

Actually it depends on which state you're in. In California, most drivers, and even some CHP officers, mistakenly invoke section 21804(a)CVC to say that the merging vehicle has to yield. They say this because the section states that any driver "about to enter a highway" must yield to any vehicle already on that highway that is close enough to constitute an immediate hazard. The problems is the section doesn't apply, because once you're on a freeway on ramp, you're on the freeway, not "about to enter" it! This is demonstrated by the fact that the CHP works all incidents on freeway on ramps, even though they may be within an incorporated city. The CHP works all incidents on the freeways. This is also why the "Begin Freeway" sign is at the top of ramp where you enter it rather than at the bottom where the lanes merge. Pedestrians, bicycles and motor driven cycles aren't allowed on freeway on ramps in California, because the on ramps are part of that highway, which happens to be a freeway. A freeway is a highway that has restricted access, namely on ramps and off ramps. Since the on ramp is just another lane of the freeway, just as a freeway collector road is, then technically neither vehicle has the "right of way". There is no California statute that establishes the right of way when two lanes of the same highway merge together, or where two different freeways merge together. There also are no specific "merging" statutes in California. An unsafe merge is usually handled by one of the unsafe speed, passing or lane change laws. Who should yield then when there's a conflict? Which ever one can do so safely. Some jerks on the main traveled portion of a freeway won't move into the adjacent lane, even if it's clear, just to assert their misprecieved right of way. Requiring a vehicle to slow, stop or drive onto the shoulder is never reasonable if the vehicle on the main traveled portion of the freeway can allow them in. If neither driver yields and there is an accident, then both drivers will be equally at fault. There is one HUGE reason why there is no statute in California, and most likely never will be, which establishes the right of way in freeway on ramp merging. If a statute required a driver to yield to traffic on the main portion of the freeway, then that would mean the yielding driver would have to come to a complete stop if necessary. Needless to say, this spells disaster, especially when the drivers behind that yielding vehicle will most likely be looking back over their left shoulder as they prepare to enter the main traveled portion of the freeway. If there were a statute that required you to slow or stop completely on a freeway on ramp to yield to approaching traffic, and you get run over by the semi behind you, you would own the state in the subsequent law suite. A law that required you or anyone else to stop on a freeway to yield right of way is asking for a disaster. Having said all that, everyone should always merge safely and everyone involved should always be willing to do what's necessary to allow a safe merge onto a freeway.

The person with the nicest car.

In the Uk the person already on the motorway has the right of way..... if that means the person on the slip-road has to stop, then so be it.

the ones on the freeway....lots of times they can not move over for merging traffic....so the merger has til yeild to the freeway traffic ....thats common sense.....but the freeway is supposed to move over for merging traffic if possible.....i've seen many who don't and it is very unpolite.....

The driver that's already on freeway has the right of way.

1. he with the biggest vehicle. 2. he with the smallest @#(*@ trying to over-compensate. 3. he who is crazy or drives like it. 4. whoever the law thinks ought to have the right of way. 5. he with the biggest / fastest engine.