Understand which pedal to push when you change lanes on the highway: The right pedal is the one that lets you go to the left lane. Please do not confuse the two, as is common.
Rule for the merge lane: This lane was made for your convenience, so that you may increase your speed to match well with highway traffic. Use it as such. Take your fear of acceleration and put it behind you for 2 seconds, OK? I used to have a VW Rabbit that ran on 3-cylinders and I managed to get up to speed. Your brakes should not be used at the end of these ramps. Stay in your lane and drive into a tree if you can't understand this.
In larger cities, nost notably in my mind Atlanta, you start to see 10 to 14 lane highways, Most people don't realize their proper place is in this scheme, so here goes:
10 Lane Highway:
Lane 1 (leftmost in USA). Idiot Lane. Drive the speed limit which, as in Massachusetts, is posted as 55 but 75 is correct.
Lane 2, Idiot Passing Lane. For passing the Idiots in the Idiot Lane. Passing on the right may be illegal, so watch for state troopers. At least once during your trip these two lanes will switch.
Lane 3, Chaos, Idiot Passing, Heavy Speeding, and Dart-thru. While this may sound like an all-purpose lane, it's best to stay out of this lane unless you are 1) doing at least 87 mph, or 2) you need to go from one of the Idiot Lanes to an exit lane and vice versa. Also used as an Idiot Passing Passing Lane, but after passing the Idiot you must immediately cut them off to get back into the regular Idiot Passing Lane, whatever that is at that time. This is mandatory, that's what the Idiots are there for.
Lane 4/5 Truck Lane and Merge. We've all seen these, it's the slow lane, except there are two now. One or more may be exit only lanes, in which case you'll see less trucks in them, since they have already moved into better through traffic lanes, unless they have all decided to eat, quit trucking, or have business there.
A 12 lane highway gets an extra Chaos Lane, and once you get to 14 lanes people lose their entire sense of perspective and either speed up to 95 or slow down to 40. Every 14 lane highway I've been on has had a limousine travelling diagonal to the direction of traffic, which always reminds me of Spy Hunter.