Drivers Education
Do you remember “Drivers Ed” in High School? I do, and I sure miss those days! Drivers Education is one of the programs that has gone away because of funding cuts, liability, or what ever the reason. But to me, that is one class that needs to be taught in High School. Or somewhere anyway!
One of the things that I remember learning in Drivers Ed was how to merge into traffic on an interstate highway by using the ‘acceleration ramp.’ One more time, ACCELERATION RAMP.
It is a simple concept. A long ramp that intersects the highway at a very small included angle that allows the car entering the highway to match the speed of the traffic flow on the main highway and merge smoothly into the flow of traffic.
The typical driver can’t comprehend this simple concept.
This past weekend Barb and I were out doing some errands and I decided to get on GA400 and go up one exit so I could head over toward Gwinnett Mall. For some background, they call GA400 the “Alpharetta Autoban” around here, because even though the speed limit for most of the lower end of the highway is 55 miles per hour, they like to run fast out there. The “flow” is about 75-80 MPH and the hammer lane is running faster than that. So, I was #2 behind a Buick at the left turn light, the light went green and the Buick accelerated up the ramp at a ripping 30 MPH. Sure death. By the time we got to the merge the Buick was now screaming along at about 45 MPH and merging into a solid line of 75 MPH traffic and the driver was completely oblivious to the situation! What fun.
Once more, Acceleration Ramp!