The on ramp is for acceleration.
Most cars can go from zero to sixty miles a hour in about five to twelve seconds, on average. A standard on ramp has about one thousand feet of distance from start to finish. Well, at least around here this fact reigns true. The further south you get, where it’s typically warmer year round, the lengths get shorter.
Do the math. In fact, you don’t even have to do the math. A vehicle that is rated to hit sixty in fifteen seconds should only take a few hundred feet or so to hit a nice merging speed to join the flow of traffic. It’s easy to assume that a vehicle should have the potential of being very close to matching the speed of the posted speed limit. There lies the problem. You’re assuming, and that car ahead of you is freaking out about the semi that just passed over or under the bridge, even though it’s traveling in the right lane, blinker on to indicate that this massive about of metal and machinery will get over to let everyone join in the fun.
You’re stuck. Nowhere to go. Will this person merge, pull of to the side of the road in a panic, or just slam on the brakes? All you want to do is drive your car. Suddenly, you’re life is not exactly in your own hands.
The on ramp is for acceleration.