Merging safely hinges on having a sufficient gap in expressway traffic to match your speed and blend in smoothly. If there isn’t a clear opening, you should slow down or stop before entering the acceleration lane and wait until a safe gap appears. Rushing to force a merge can surprise drivers and lead to a crash, and continuing at the same speed with no gap is unsafe. Exiting to a local road isn’t appropriate when you’re trying to enter the expressway. So the best action is to slow or stop before the acceleration lane and wait for a safe merge opportunity.

The main idea here is that a three-second following distance covers only the distance you travel while reacting to a hazard, not the entire stopping distance. When you see a need to stop, your eyes and brain take some time to process, and your foot moves to the brake—that’s the reaction distance. After you brake, you still cover more ground until you come to a stop—that’s the braking distance. Add those together and you get the total stopping distance. So a three-second rule helps ensure you have enough reaction time, but the brakes still need to do their job after you start braking, making the total stopping distance longer than the three-second gap. The other statements don’t fit because the three-second gap is not the full stopping distance, it isn’t inherently guaranteed to ensure a stop in every condition, and whether it’s “too long” for urban driving depends on conditions rather than a universal rule.

Hazard lights should be turned on immediately to warn approaching traffic that your vehicle is stopped or disabled. This visible signal helps drivers slow down and proceed with caution on a rural highway where speeds are high and the shoulder may be narrow, reducing the risk of a collision as you address the tire issue or seek help. Honking doesn’t reliably communicate a roadside hazard and can confuse drivers; standing on the shoulder to wave puts you in the path of traffic; and continuing to drive defeats the purpose of signaling a problem in the first place.

Passing a bicyclist safely means giving them ample space, moving at a steady pace, and making sure it’s safe to return to your lane. The three-foot clearance gives enough room for the rider’s width and any wobble or sudden movement, so you don’t crowd them or cause them to swerve into traffic or the door zone. Passing slowly keeps you in better control, reduces the wind blast that can destabilize a cyclist, and gives you time to react if the rider signals a change in direction or if hazards appear. Checking for signals before returning to your lane is essential because cyclists may indicate turns or stops with arm signals, and you need to know their intentions to avoid cutting them off or forcing abrupt braking. If there isn’t enough space to pass safely, slow down and wait behind the cyclist until you can pass with the required clearance. Honking, speeding up, swerving into the opposite lane, or passing without signaling are unsafe and should be avoided.