Defensive Driving: Right on Red & Highway Merging

Video Transcript

"As we're approaching this light we're going to be in the extreme right hand lane. Again making a right turn, right turn signal is on. The light is yellow. We're going to come to the obedience line, which at this time there isn't any here, but stay well back of the intersection. Now, we are allowed to turn right on a red light when there is no sign and traffic is not coming. Traffic is stopped, so I can proceed in making a right turn safely because, I looked over to the left and assured me that traffic had stopped. We're now going to approach another traffic light, which means we're going to go towards Ann Arbor on US 23. We're going to enter the expressway again. Make sure both hands are on the wheel, in the extreme right hand lane, northbound on US 23, as we approach the intersection taking it very slowly. Now, as we're coming around the intersection we're now going to proceed on an exit ramp. As we are getting on the exit ramp we are going to gradually start picking up our speed because we do not want to enter the expressway under forty-five miles per hour. As traffic is moving at seventy miles per hour. Now I put on my left turn signal well in advance letting everybody know that I'm going to approach the expressway. I just now reached fifty miles an hour, and now I'm merging onto the expressway. Now I am doing fifty-five miles per hour. I canceled my turn signal. At the very next exit we will make an exit. We're going to exit on I-94 going eastbound. I've taken my speed up to sixty-five miles per hour and as you can see traffic is still moving fast around me. I still have both hands on the wheel. I am now activating my right turn signal, letting traffic and everybody know I am going to exit. As I get to the exit I slow down, down to sixty miles per hour. I am now going to exit again on I-94 towards Detroit. I've got my speed down now to fifty miles per hour, my right turn signal is still on letting everybody know I'm coming off. I now will cancel my right turn signal. I'm at forty-five miles per hour. I'm going to drop my speed down to forty miles per hour because again I have a yellow sign, saying recommended speed on this entrance ramp is thirty-five miles per hour. I now have my speed at thirty-five miles per hour, the traffic behind me doesn't like it. My left turn signal is now on because, I am going to merge onto I-94. Checking my traffic in my mirror, looking in my mirrors, moving swiftly over to the left lane as safe as possible. I am now in the left lane proceeding east. I now will give you the command that I want you to move one lane over to the left when it is safe to do so. Turning on my left turn signal, letting traffic and everybody know that I am going to switch lanes. I've got a car coming around me. I'm moving very smoothly over into my left middle lane, at sixty miles per hour so as not to hold up traffic. I'm not proceeding at sixty-five miles per hour. I'm watching my mirrors, I'm checking my mirrors left and right. I am now going to move back into my right lane, again letting everybody know with my turn signals that I am going to proceed over into the right lane. So I can do it smoothly and safely, and letting everybody know. This is the only way we can communicate with the public, is turn signals. Let them know what you are going to do. Don't turn your turn signal on and then move, turn signals on as rapidly, or as safely as possible, letting everybody know well in advance of what procedures you are going to use."