When merging in traffic, why do some people speed up to try and not let you in?

Question

This often happens when there is plenty of space to merge.

Is it because they should be first? Are they the best? The coolest?

Answer 1

Winners are often forced to the front of the pack, and somebody's gotta take the lead. Equal parts Type A Personality and raw horsepower. And the 'beep-beep' wasn't me saying 'hi'. It was me saying stay out of the way.


Or maybe they've just become comfortable with their following distance, or they've got a convoy going or they've already yielded to enough merging morons for one day. Maybe its you. You may just seem too crazy to trust out in front; you're giving off those vibes?

You, you're a merger and compelled to perform safely without impeding anyone else sensible enough to be already on the freeway. If you make me hit the brakes, I'll hafta reset the cruise control. If I just add a bit of throttle, I may dissuade your awkward manuvering, with less work for me.

Answer 2

It is either speed up or slow down. Sometimes when I slow down to be nice, the person merging slows down also and it creates more of an annoyance than if I pretended they didnt exist and just let them fend for themself.
Same thing at a 4 way stop. If youdo not go and let the other person go, they dont go and wave you to go and it gets crazy, so I just go if I can now.

Answer 3

Yes you are right however when merging on to the expressway they should always move over so you can get in they are just being stupid , Just get on the best way you can and move on . Now when you come to a place like that make a difference and allow the person to get in who knows he might just think nice things about you, hope this helps.

Answer 4

I find that very often it only APPEARS they are speeding up, when they are not! See, they are already going faster than you, so if you haven't caught up to THEIR speed, it seems they are speeding up.

I drive in the right lane a lot with my cruise control on, and sometimes people come up the ramp and give me the finger, thinking I sped up, but all I did was maintain my speed. Happens all the time.

Answer 5

That happens to me too! Where do they think you are going to go! The entrance ramp is only so long. You have no choice but to get on the freeway. HELLO! Some people are slow and will cause you to be rear ended while trying to let them get on the freeway and must be passed, but for the most part, I think we all know how to enter busy traffic.

Answer 6

if you are talking about the free way then they should move over into the outer lane but if you are talking about merging two lanes into one then sometimes they want to go faster than you are going and it saves having to pass you later. some time they have right of way and rather than be considerate and let you in they are going to hold there place because technically they are in the right. someday they may be DEAD right. they will hold there place speed up and end up in a car wreck and injured but they will have been in the right .

Answer 7

There are a--holes everywhere, especially on the highway. Don't expect me to slow down a lot to let you in because that can be dangerous, but I will not speed up to prevent your merging.

Answer 8

Rudeness, immaturity,or some of them are control freaks. They feel if they are first they are better and in control of the situation by pushing you out. Then there are careless drivers that aren't paying attention to the people trying to merge.

Answer 9

its because their jerks an dont want to wait like 2 seconds for yo to merge

Answer 10

its usually a sign of immaturity
I notice a lot of young, inexperienced drivers do that-

hey, they havent learned about Karma yet
what comes around, goes around....