Roadwise States Arizona Driving lessons Entering & exiting freeways Arizona driving lesson · Passing, Lanes & Freeways
Entering & exiting freeways A 3-minute lesson from the Arizona course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Read time 3 minutes
Course unit Passing, Lanes & Freeways
Checkpoint questions 6
Source pages 31, 32, 34 Freeways are built for high-speed traffic. Merging safely is your job when you enter: match speed on the ramp, signal, find a gap. When you exit, signal early and do your slowing in the exit lane, not on the freeway.
Know the rule
Traffic entering a freeway must yield to traffic already on it. Drivers entering are responsible for merging safely.
Handbook p. 31 ↗ Entering a freeway: Get into the proper lane well in advance Match your speed to traffic in the freeway's right lane Signal before you merge and check traffic around you Merge carefully when clear Don't cross a solid line or drive through a gore area Handbook p. 31 ↗ Figure A: How to enter a freeway Exiting a freeway: Signal your exit before you reach the exit ramp Use the deceleration lane and brake properly for a smooth exit Keep a space cushion when exiting in heavy traffic Don't cross a solid line Handbook p. 31 ↗ Figure B: How to exit a freeway — slow down in the exit lane, not on the freeway Gore area The space between a through roadway and an entrance or exit ramp. It is against the law to drive over or park in any part of it.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Know the rule
If you miss your exit, do not stop and never back up. Take the next exit and follow signs to rejoin the road in the other direction.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Controlled access highway A highway with no signals or intersections, entered and exited by ramps — called an "expressway" or "freeway."
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Divided highway A highway with separate roadways for traffic in opposite directions, often with multiple lanes on each side.
Handbook p. 31 ↗ Put it into practice
You're on I-10 and realize you just passed your exit. Keep going, take the next exit, and follow signs back. Stopping, backing up, or cutting across the gore area is illegal.
Check your understanding Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
Traffic entering a freeway must do what relative to traffic already on the freeway? Yield the right-of-way to it Have the right-of-way over it Merge side by side with it Merge at any speed available Answer: Yield the right-of-way to it
Traffic entering a freeway must yield right-of-way to traffic already on the freeway.
Handbook p. 31 ↗ As you merge onto a freeway, what should you do with your speed? Enter well below the speed limit for safety Enter as fast as your vehicle allows Maintain the same speed as the on-ramp Match right-lane traffic speed Answer: Match right-lane traffic speed
Match the speed of your vehicle to the speed of traffic in the right lane of the freeway before merging.
Handbook p. 31 ↗ What is a 'gore area'? A marked bicycle lane The area just past a stop sign The space between a through road and a ramp The shoulder of a two-lane highway Answer: The space between a through road and a ramp
A gore area is the space between a through roadway and an entrance or exit ramp; driving or parking in it is illegal.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ If you miss your freeway exit, what should you do? Cross the median to turn around Continue to the next exit Back up carefully to the exit Stop on the shoulder and wait Answer: Continue to the next exit
If you miss your exit, do not stop or back up; get off at the next exit and find your way back.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Before exiting a freeway, what should you do? Turn on your hazard flashers instead of signaling Signal before you reach the exit ramp Wait until you're on the ramp to signal Stop completely on the travel lane Answer: Signal before you reach the exit ramp
Be sure to signal your exit before you reach the exit ramp.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ It is legal to drive over or park in a gore area if traffic is light. True False Answer: False
Driving over or parking in any part of a gore area is against the law at all times.
Handbook p. 32 ↗ Previous lesson Roundabouts & diverging diamonds Next lesson Freeway lanes, HOV & breakdowns More in Passing, Lanes & Freeways About the source Roadwise’s Arizona course uses the driver handbook edition supplied with this study pack. This lesson cites source pages 31, 32, 34. The linked PDF is a third-party mirror of the handbook, rather than a government-hosted page.
Open the handbook source PDF · View the source edition
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