By Kaitlyn Alanis
The Wichita Eagle
WICHITA, Kan. — “It’s called an acceleration lane, people. When you get into the interstate, you got to accelerate ... ”
That message from Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Gardener — @TrooperBenKHP — has been seen by more than 1.1 million people in a video that has gone nationwide on Facebook and Twitter. The video is complete with hand motions signifying how to speed up and merge.
“An acceleration lane is an auxiliary or speed change lane that allows vehicles to accelerate to highway speeds before entering the through-traffic lanes of a highway,” according to the U.S. Department of Transporation.
In other words, if the speed limit on the highway is 60 mph, you should be going 60 mph by the time you merge from the acceleration lane to the highway.
“ ... you got to accelerate to be at the same speed that people are traveling on the interstate,” Gardener said in the video.
So, drivers should not be merging onto the interstate if only going 45 mph when the speed limit is 60 mph — especially if you would be cutting in front of a driver who is going the speed limit.
https://twitter.com/TrooperBenKHP/status/959421145928945665
That advice resonated with many tweeters.
“It amazes me how people think they have the right of Way while going 45mph then ‘merging’ in front of a semi going 70-75 mph,” one person wrote. “ ... Don’t cut people off...ESPECIALLY a semi!!! Some people have zero common sense.”
Another called those who fail to get up to speed his biggest pet peeve.
“Preach it!!!!” he wrote. “Nothing that aggravates me more is being behind someone when you can’t increase your speed too. Makes me wish I had a monster truck ha!”
But of course, the acceleration lane does not give you the right to drive as fast as you can before merging.
“I’m not telling you to jack up your speed and go way above the speed limit — don’t do that,” Gardener said. “I need you to be going the speed limits as you merge into traffic because it totally jacks everybody up that’s in the lanes traveling down the road.”
Trooper Ben has been known for his constant reminders to #BuckleUp, #DriveSober and #SlowDown. He has more than 37,600 followers and was named the Best International Account in the Police Twitter Awards last year.
©2018 The Wichita Eagle (Wichita, Kan.)