Merging onto and leaving the motorway

Merging from a short slip road

On a short slip road you have little time. So look at the traffic early. Are there lorries in the right lane? They drive at 80 km/h at most. Match your speed to them, not to the fastest traffic. Otherwise you will have to brake hard just after merging.

Merge in front of or behind the lorry?

Is the slip road still long and is there enough room? Then merge in front of the lorry. Is it short with little room? Ease off and merge behind the lorry. The lorry goes first. In both cases you must not get in its way.

What if you can’t merge onto the motorway?

Ease off and look for a gap further on. Is the slip road almost over? Then brake gently and wait at the end until there is room. Do not drive on along the hard shoulder or over the hatched area.

Zip merging: does it apply when joining the motorway?

Not on a normal slip road. There you merge and let the traffic on the main carriageway go first. Zip merging is for a lane that ends, for example at roadworks or when a lane is closed. A sign such as ritsen na 300 m (zip merge after 300 m) warns you.

This is how zip merging works:

• In busy traffic, use both lanes up to the point where they meet.
• There, cars merge one at a time, like the teeth of a zip.
• Is traffic still moving well and is there enough room earlier on? Then you do not have to wait until the last moment.
• Are you in the lane that continues? Leave room and do not speed up to block someone.

Zip merging does not give right of way. Whoever changes lanes lets other traffic go first. Too late? Then wait before the end of your lane until you can merge safely. A diagonal arrow on a matrix sign also means your lane is ending.

Leaving the motorway: where do you slow down?

On the exit lane. Keep driving at your normal speed on the main carriageway. Only slow down once you are on the exit lane. If you brake on the main carriageway, you get in the way of the traffic behind you. Is there a jam or is the exit lane short? Then slow down earlier, but gently.

Watch out for late leavers. As long as there are block markings next to you, someone on the main carriageway can still suddenly pull onto the deceleration lane right in front of you. Especially in a traffic jam: if you drive on the deceleration lane past a jam, expect someone to leave the jam for the exit.

How far before the exit do you indicate?

About 300 metres before a normal exit. This is a driving-lesson guideline, not a fixed distance in the law. Indicating far too early can confuse others. Turn your indicator off as soon as you are on the exit lane.

Missed your exit? Drive on to the next one

If you miss your exit, drive on to the next one. Turning round and reversing are not allowed on the motorway. See special manoeuvres.

• No arrows on the exit lane yet? Going back to the main carriageway is only allowed when it is safe and permitted. Let all other traffic go first.
• Arrows on the road? Follow them. You may no longer go back onto the motorway.
• Red crosses above the exit? The exit is closed. Drive on to the next exit.

Driving over the hatched area to still make the exit is not allowed either.

A traffic jam at the exit or on the motorway

Do you see an unexpected traffic jam ahead? Briefly switch on your hazard lights. This warns the traffic behind you. Switch them off when the warning is no longer needed. Let your car slow down gently and brake in good time. This helps prevent a rear-end collision.

Sign J33 (Traffic jam): you are approaching a place where traffic jams regularly occur. Matrix signs often reduce the speed here well in advance. Note: such a traffic jam warning applies to the whole carriageway, not just the deceleration lane.

In a jam it helps to stay in your own lane as much as possible and keep a steady speed. Every lane change slows down the traffic behind you.

Is leaving the motorway a special manoeuvre?

Yes. Leaving the motorway is a special manoeuvre, just like merging. You move from the main carriageway to the exit lane. You let all other traffic go first, including traffic already on the exit lane.

Who goes first: leaving or joining traffic?

In the CBR exam, the driver leaving the motorway goes first. On a weaving section, one driver wants to join and another wants to leave at the same spot. Whoever leaves the motorway goes first (1). Then the other driver joins (2). Like on a bus: people get off first, then get on.

The law does not call this a right-of-way rule. You are both making a special manoeuvre. So work it out with the other driver and do not force your way in.

Note: is the joining driver already in the lane you want? Then you are the one changing lanes. Let them go first and leave behind them.