What is the first action to take when ready to merge after passing the acceleration area?

When preparing to merge after passing the acceleration area, the first action you should take is to look to your left and behind for a safe gap. This step is crucial because it ensures that you are aware of the traffic conditions in adjacent lanes and that there is enough space for your vehicle to enter the flow of traffic safely.

Checking your surroundings before merging allows you to make informed decisions and minimizes the risk of collisions. By observing the position and speed of vehicles in adjacent lanes, you can identify a suitable gap that allows for a smooth and safe merge. This practice is part of defensive driving, as it emphasizes the importance of being aware of your environment.

Following this, signaling is important to communicate your intentions to other drivers, but it should come after assessing the traffic situation. Speeding up sharply is unsafe and may lead to losing control of the vehicle, especially if the gap is smaller than anticipated. Checking mirrors alone does not provide a complete assessment of the merging scenario, as it lacks the critical visual confirmation from other lanes. Thus, recognizing a suitable gap before indicating your intention to merge is the correct first step.