Freeway entrance ramps are designed to give drivers an opportunity to build speed, find a suitable gap and merge smoothly with traffic already travelling on the freeway. An entrance to southbound Highway 99 in Richmond adds an unusual complication: a designated bus lane crosses the path of entering traffic just before the driver reaches the first general-purpose freeway lane.
There are signs and flashing warning lights to draw the driver's attention to the possibility of a bus approaching in the bus lane. But what should a driver actually do when those lights are flashing?
A question from a DriveSmartBC reader provides a good example of why the answer isn't simply "slow down."
An Unusual Freeway Entrance
At a conventional freeway entrance, the entering driver is primarily concerned with traffic already on the freeway. The basic process is familiar: use the acceleration lane to build speed, assess the traffic, find an appropriate gap, adjust speed to fit that gap and merge when it is safe to do so.
The Highway 99 entrance is different because the entrance ramp crosses a designated bus lane. The entering driver must pass through that conflict area to reach the first general-purpose freeway lane, while being alert for buses approaching from behind.
Signs and flashing lights warn the entering driver about this additional conflict. They are useful because a bus approaching in the designated lane may not otherwise be part of the driver's immediate view or attention.
The warning lights don't change the driver's job. The driver still needs to cross the bus lane safely and take up a position in the first general-purpose freeway lane. What the lights do is draw attention to an unusual circumstance that the driver may otherwise overlook: a bus may be approaching from behind in the lane the driver is about to cross.
When the Lights Start Flashing
Consider what happened to the reader who asked about this location.
As the driver approached the freeway, the warning lights were flashing. A bus passed through the conflict area and the lights stopped flashing.
With the bus gone and the warning lights no longer operating, the driver began looking for a suitable gap in Highway 99 traffic. That is exactly what an entering driver needs to do.
Then the warning lights started flashing again.
By that time, the driver was close to the conflict area. There was no longer enough room to make a substantial speed reduction without potentially creating another problem. The driver continued through the conflict area and accelerated to complete the merge ahead of the approaching bus.
Was that necessarily a serious driving error?
Not necessarily. The important question is not simply whether the lights were flashing. It is what the driver could safely do when the warning appeared.
It's a Judgment Call
A flashing yellow light tells a driver to proceed with caution. It does not tell the driver to stop or prescribe a particular speed. In this case, the flashing lights identify a safety condition that requires the driver's attention: a bus may be approaching in the designated lane.
What the driver does next still depends on the circumstances. If there is ample distance to allow the bus to pass safely, slowing may be the obvious choice. If the driver is already close to the crossing, however, maintaining speed or even accelerating may be the safest way to clear the conflict area and complete the merge.
That isn't an excuse to ignore the bus. It is recognition that speed, distance and timing all matter.
A driver who is still below freeway speed also has to consider the traffic they are preparing to join. Slowing unnecessarily on an entrance ramp can make it more difficult to merge safely and can create a hazard for following traffic.
The goal is not to achieve a particular speed because the lights are flashing. The goal is to choose a speed and path that safely deal with the bus while also completing the freeway merge.
Don't Forget What's Behind You
In my view, the most useful lesson from this driver's experience is situational awareness.
Once the first bus passed and the lights went out, the driver's attention quite reasonably shifted toward Highway 99 and the task of finding a gap. But another bus could still have been approaching from behind.
The fact that one bus has passed does not mean that the bus lane is clear.
A driver entering this particular ramp needs to maintain an awareness of what is happening both ahead and behind. The driver should know where the bus is, whether another bus is approaching and how the driver's own speed and position will affect the developing situation.
This is especially important because the driver is making several decisions in a very short period of time:
- monitor the bus lane;
- watch for a bus approaching from behind;
- assess traffic on Highway 99;
- find an acceptable gap;
- adjust speed to fit that gap; and
- move into the first general-purpose freeway lane when it is safe.
None of these tasks can safely be ignored simply because another one has become the immediate priority.
Don't Turn a Warning Into a Panic Reaction
The flashing lights should get the driver's attention. They should not cause the driver to stop thinking.
If there is ample distance to allow the bus to pass safely, do so. If the driver is already committed to crossing the bus lane, suddenly braking may be the wrong response. The driver must consider the position and speed of the bus, the position and speed of their own vehicle and the traffic they are preparing to merge into.
In other words, don't confuse being warned about a hazard with being given a specific speed at which to drive.
The appropriate response could be to slow, maintain speed or accelerate. It depends on the circumstances.
A Normal Merge With an Extra Hazard
What makes this location unusual is not that the basic principles for merging onto Highway 99 have changed. The entering driver still has to find a safe gap in traffic already on the freeway and merge only when it is safe to do so.
What has changed is the driver's workload. Before reaching the first general-purpose freeway lane, the driver must also account for buses travelling in the designated lane.
The signs and flashing lights highlight that additional hazard. They remind the driver to look and think about what may be approaching from behind while the driver is simultaneously preparing for the freeway merge.
Once the driver recognizes that, the correct response becomes much less mysterious. Keep moving, maintain control, watch the bus lane, assess the freeway traffic and choose a speed that allows the vehicle to merge safely.
The Bigger Lesson
This isn't just a lesson for drivers using this particular Highway 99 entrance.
Good driving requires continual updating of the traffic picture. It is easy to become focused on the one thing that demands attention at the moment—a gap in traffic, a vehicle ahead, a lane change—and lose awareness of everything else happening around you.
That's why experienced drivers continually scan rather than stare. They look ahead, check mirrors, monitor adjacent traffic and anticipate what other road users may do next.
In this case, the warning lights are there to help the driver maintain that awareness. They identify a potential conflict, but they cannot make the decision for the driver.
The safest driver isn't the one who reacts most strongly to a flashing light. It is the one who understands what the warning means, knows what is happening around the vehicle and makes the speed and position adjustment that safely deals with the entire situation.
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