What should you do before returning to the road if you leave it?

Before returning to the road after leaving it, it's important to try to stop safely before merging back onto the road. This approach allows you to assess the traffic conditions and ensure that it is safe to re-enter the roadway. Stopping provides the opportunity to gauge speed and distance of oncoming vehicles, allowing for a smoother and safer merge back onto the road.

Rapidly accelerating to merge with traffic can be dangerous if you misjudge the speed of other vehicles or the spacing between them. Braking immediately isn't necessarily the best option either, as it may not allow you to fully check the surroundings before re-entering. Turning sharply can put both you and other road users at risk because it may lead to loss of control of the vehicle or sudden lane changes that could cause an accident. Therefore, stopping to assess the situation is the safest practice before attempting to return to the road.