If the acceleration lane is short you need

• A. A smaller gap to merge quicker
• B. A larger gap to enter traffic
• C. To speed up to match traffic
• D. To stop and wait for traffic

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that an acceleration lane is there for you to speed up and merge into highway traffic. When that lane is short, you don’t have much distance to reach highway speed and find a safe place to merge. That means you need a larger gap in traffic to fit in safely. If the traffic flow is continuous or the gap is small, trying to merge can be dangerous because you won’t have enough time to accelerate and merge smoothly.

Smaller gaps aren’t safe for merging, because there isn’t enough room for you to enter at the speed you’re traveling. Merely speeding up to match traffic isn’t a reliable solution in a short lane—you still need adequate space to merge, and there may not be time to reach the same speed before you’d have to merge. Stopping in the acceleration lane isn’t appropriate or safe; that lane is for joining the traffic flow, not for waiting indefinitely. Look for a larger gap and merge when you can do so smoothly and safely.