What are the three entrance to an expressway?

There are a number of freeways (also known as expressways) in South Australia. They are designed to move large numbers of vehicles at higher speeds than on normal roads. Access is controlled and the driver never comes into contact with opposing flows of traffic, unless traffic has been diverted during major road works. All roads that cross a freeway/expressway pass either over or under it by means of bridges

Joining a freeway or expressway from an entry road:

• as you enter the entry road, give a change of direction signal early
• wait well back in the entry road until you see a safe gap in the freeway/expressway traffic
• take care that traffic in front of you has cleared the entry road
• when safe, accelerate along the entry road to merge with the freeway/expressway traffic at the same speed
• on entering the freeway/expressway, keep a safe following distance for the higher speed.

Leaving a freeway or expressway

If you are not going to the end of the freeway or expressway, you will leave by an exit road:

• watch for signs warning you that the exit is near
• move into the appropriate lane in good time
• give a signal as early as you can
• keep indicating when you join the exit road and then reduce speed in the exit road
• take care - when you have been driving for a while at a steady fast speed, it is hard to judge slower speeds - 80 km/h may seem like 60 km/h. Check your speedometer.

NOT PERMITTED ON FREEWAYS AND EXPRESSWAYS You must not:

• make U-turns
• reverse
• park or stop other than in emergencies.

Generally pedestrians, bicycles, animals and animal-drawn vehicles are prohibited from using freeways and expressways unless otherwise indicated.

On a freeway or expressway

• The right lane must be kept for overtaking unless the road is congested, and you must move out of it when you can.
• Do not move out to overtake without first checking your rear-view and side mirrors and signalling your intention.
• When changing lanes, Give Way to vehicles in other lanes.
• Look over your shoulder to check your blind spot (which is not covered by your mirrors) as a final check before changing lanes.
• Take care - traffic coming from behind may be moving faster than you think
• Maintain a safe distance from other vehicles at all times, but especially when overtaking.
• Watch for other vehicles merging at entry roads and adjust your speed if necessary. To help other vehicles enter the freeway/expressway, change lanes if it is safe.

Vehicle breakdown

Before beginning your journey try and ensure you have access to a mobile phone whilst travelling. Write down the telephone numbers of the RAA, or other roadside assistance services, and the Traffic Management Centre (1800 018 313) and leave them in your vehicle in case you need them; or program the numbers into your mobile phone.

Breaking down on a freeway or expressway is potentially very dangerous and you should be cautious at all times.

If your vehicle develops a problem you should try and leave the freeway or expressway at the next exit or pull into a service area and turn on your hazard lights.

If you cannot leave the freeway or expressway pull on to the hard shoulder on the left side of the road and stop as far to the left as you can with your wheels turned to the left and your hazard lights on.  If the road has help phones installed try and stop near a help phone.

Assess the situation very carefully and do not put yourself in danger by attempting even simple repairs.

If you are able to move a safe distance away from the road it might be safer to leave your vehicle.  You and any passengers should stay well away from the roadway and hard shoulder and children should be closely supervised and controlled for their own safety.

Ring the RAA, or other relevant roadside assistance service, to provide assistance. If you consider that your vehicle presents a roadside hazard ring the Traffic Management Centre as well. If you have stopped near a roadside help phone, this can be used too. Inform them of your vehicle type, your situation, and your location as accurately as possible and say if you are a vulnerable motorist such as a person with a disability, older or travelling alone.

If you are travelling through uninhabited or lightly inhabited areas, ensure you have access to drinking water as assistance for breakdowns can take some time to attend.

Please note 75% of breakdowns on freeways or expressways are due to the vehicle running out of petrol, so make sure you have sufficient fuel for your trip.

It is important to learn the proper procedure for entering a highway - especially where acceleration and merging are concerned. Merging with high-speed traffic can be dangerous and presents a real challenge for less-experienced drivers. Your first time may be a little stressful but with our guidance, you will get through it just fine. The secrets to safe and successful freeway entry are being vigilant, signaling and matching the speed of existing traffic.

Preparing to enter a highway

As you approach the highway interchange, pay close attention to route number road signs and directional information. Identifying your desired route should be relatively easy - depending on the design of the highway interchange – but getting on the highway traveling in the correct direction can be tricky. Entry ramps feeding into both sides of the highway are often positioned close together. If you end up traveling in the wrong direction, it could be a while before you can exit and reverse your course.

Of course, accidentally entering via an exit ramp would be a far more dangerous mistake! Should you encounter “DO NOT ENTER” or “WRONG WAY” signs on what you believe to be an entry ramp, pull over right away and turn around when it is safe to do so.

Having successfully navigated the interchange and chosen the correct ramp, you will move through a three-stage entry zone comprising of the entrance ramp, an acceleration lane and a merging area. As soon as you are able, begin scanning the right-hand lane of the expressway for gaps in the traffic. Remember that motorists already using the highway have the right-of-way.

Using entrance ramps

Also known as “on-ramps”, entrance ramps may be curved, straight, uphill, downhill or on a level with the highway. You may be able to start assessing traffic conditions on the highway from the entrance ramp if it runs adjacent to the road. At this point, drivers should scan the highway to ascertain traffic density, speed and how much space will be needed to merge successfully. Do not worry if the highway is elevated or obscured by a barrier – keep your attention focused on the end of the entrance ramp to check for hazards.

Activate your turn signal before you reach the end of the entrance ramp, to show your intention to merge into the acceleration lane. Glance over your shoulder and use your side mirror to look for a gap in the traffic.

To use entrance ramps safely:

1. 1

   

   Always look at the posted speed limit as you enter the ramp and alter your speed accordingly.

2. 2

   Do not accelerate rapidly on entrance ramps that are sharply curved.

3. 3

   Check that you are occupying the correct lane, as there may be other lanes on the ramp which lead back to the interchange.

4. 4

   Be prepared that traffic on the highway could be at a standstill or moving very slowly.

Look out for ramp meters

Busier interchanges may have traffic control devices known as “ramp meters”. These simple signal lights moderate the flow of vehicles entering the highway to prevent congestion and have only two signals – red and green. Never attempt to enter a highway under a red ramp meter light. A green signal usually means that one car may enter, though some interchanges may have higher limits. If two or more cars are permitted entry on a green light, this information will be displayed on a road sign.

Double merge lanes

It may be that the highway entrance ramp starts with two lanes which eventually merge into a single lane. As double merge lanes are often used on high-volume entrance ramps, it is likely the ramp will also be controlled by ramp meters. If this is the case, there may be two ramp meters – one for each lane. Make sure you observe the correct signal light for the lane you are occupying when using a double merge lane.

Using acceleration lanes

At the end of the entrance ramp, you will enter the acceleration lane, which is designed for drivers to increase their speed to match that of existing highway traffic. You must pay close attention to the speed of vehicles in the right-hand lane while using the acceleration lane, to make sure you can adjust your speed appropriately.

How rapidly you should accelerate will depend on the length of the acceleration lane. Shorter lanes demand sharper acceleration to match the speed of highway traffic before the lane ends. Keep searching for a suitable gap in traffic as you approach the end of the acceleration lane.

When traffic on the highway is flowing freely, you must merge into the right-hand lane without slowing down or stopping. Novice drivers often make the mistake of slowing down or coming to a stop at the end of the acceleration lane while trying to identify a gap in the traffic. This amounts to counter-intuitive and dangerous driving because slower speeds demand larger gaps. You should only ever stop at the end of an acceleration lane if highway traffic is too crowded and slow-moving for normal merging to be possible.

Using the merge area

The merge area follows the acceleration lane and is separated from the right-hand lane with a broken white line. Having reached an appropriate speed and signaled your intention to turn, you should use this area to merge left onto the highway.

Drivers must never attempt to merge onto a highway directly from the acceleration lane using the gore area. This triangular patch of road separates the highway and the acceleration lane and is marked out with solid white lines. The gore area is always off-limits to motorists!

Weave lanes

Weave lanes serve both as entrances and exits for highways. Conflicts in speed and space adjustments would occur between motorists entering the weave lane from the highway and those entering from the entrance ramp, therefore right-of-way must be considered. Motorists exiting the highway via the weave lane have the legal right-of-way, so you must yield when approaching from the entrance ramp.

Merging onto a highway

While motorists already using the highway have the right-of-way, they will often move over to allow drivers entering from the merge area to join. When driving past an entrance ramp on a highway, you should be aware of motorists attempting to merge and make room for them if possible.

Merging onto a highway smoothly and safely is a matter of identifying a gap large enough to accommodate your vehicle and matching the speed of traffic. Aim for a four-second space between cars, as this will afford you a two-second gap both in front and to your rear once the merge is complete. You will sometimes have to settle for a slightly smaller gap when entering a busy highway – this is normal. Just make sure that the space is not too small for you to merge safely, without disrupting the flow of traffic.

Keep these safety tips in mind when merging onto a highway:

1. 1

   Begin signaling well before you intend to merge and continue doing so until the maneuver is complete.

2. 2

   Maintain a safe following distance from vehicles entering the highway ahead of you, and those in front of you once you have merged.

3. 3

   Stay alert if another driver is entering the highway ahead of you, as they could slow down or stop without warning.

4. 4

   Look out for other vehicles already on the highway attempting to change lanes as you merge.

As soon as you have begun to enter a highway there is no going back. You must continue and safely merge with highway traffic – even if it becomes evident that you have taken a wrong turn. Stopping suddenly or attempting to turn around and exit via the entry ramp would be extremely dangerous, as other drivers around you will not anticipate it. If you realize you are traveling in the wrong direction, continue along the highway until you reach the next exit.

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