When merging onto the freeway you should be driving:

1. t or near the same speed as the traffic on the freeway. ✓
2. 5 to 10 MPH slower than the traffic on the freeway.
3. The posted speed limit for traffic on the freeway.

Answer: A. t or near the same speed as the traffic on the freeway.

When merging onto the freeway, you should be driving at or near the same speed as the traffic on the freeway.

Why this is the answer

The handbook lists the steps for entering a highway, and one of them is to be at or near the speed of traffic. That speed match is what lets you merge into a gap large enough for your vehicle when it is safe. The handbook also says highway traffic has the right-of-way, so you adjust your speed to fit into the flow rather than making freeway traffic adjust to you.

Why the other answers are wrong

• B. 5 to 10 MPH slower than the traffic on the freeway. — Entering 5 to 10 MPH slower than freeway traffic is not what the handbook says; you are told to be at or near the speed of traffic, and a slow entry makes joining a gap harder.
• C. The posted speed limit for traffic on the freeway. — Matching the posted speed limit is not the rule given; the handbook tells you to match the speed of traffic, which is not always the same as the posted limit.

Remember it

Think of the on-ramp as your run-up: build speed so you arrive alongside the traffic already there, not behind it.