When merging onto a highway, who has the right of way?

When merging onto a highway, traffic that is already on the highway has the right of way. This is crucial for maintaining the flow of traffic and ensuring safety on high-speed roadways. Drivers merging from an on-ramp must yield to vehicles that are already traveling in the lane they wish to enter, allowing those vehicles to continue without disruption.

In this context, the merging vehicle needs to assess the traffic conditions on the highway and ensure there is a safe gap to merge into. The acceleration lane is designed to allow merging vehicles to adjust their speed to match that of the highway traffic, but it does not grant the merging vehicle any priority over existing road users.

Understanding this rule helps prevent collisions and supports the overall efficiency of highway travel.