Warning Road Sign (W4-3)
Added Lane (No Merge Required) Sign Meaning & Driving Rules
Indicates that entering traffic is given its own dedicated new lane and merging is not required.
Required Driver Action & Right-of-Way Protocol
Continue forward in your lane at highway speed. Entering vehicles do not need to merge immediately.
Detailed Overview & Purpose
The Added Lane sign (W4-3) informs drivers that an entering traffic stream receives its own continuous, dedicated lane. Neither through-traffic nor entering traffic needs to yield or merge.
This is the opposite of the Merging Traffic sign (W4-1). With an Added Lane, all vehicles can maintain full highway speed without changing lanes.
Key Standard & Origin: Added Lane vs. Merging Traffic is one of the top 5 most commonly confused sign pairs on DMV permit tests nationwide.
Where You'll Find This Sign
Freeway interchanges and major arterial intersections where new through-lanes begin.
Common Driver Mistakes to Avoid
Entering drivers braking to a stop unnecessarily, thinking they must merge into existing traffic.
How This Sign Appears on the DMV Knowledge & Road Test
A classic permit test question testing the distinction between Added Lane and Merging Traffic.
Legal Penalties and Moving Violations
Abrupt unsafe lane changes into newly added lanes carry moving violation citations.
Sign Variations & Related Types
Added Left Lane
New lane begins on the left side of the roadway.
When you encounter the official Added Lane (No Merge Required) (W4-3) on a roadway, what is your legal duty?
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