Notpan

This exactly. I'm a driver by the textbook and a stalwart enforcer of right of way, except with highway on-ramps. I yield to them as they enter, either changing lanes or ensuring there is enough space between me and the car in front of me so the onramp car has room. When I'm the one merging in, while I do my best to aim for gaps, at the end of the day, if a congested highway lane is full of people enforcing their right of way, I'm going to gradually force myself in. I don't see any alternative that doesn't significantly increase the probability of an accident (like stopping at the end of the onramp).

Oh yeah, good example. We all should merge in at pretty much the first opportunity, unless doing so would be more dangerous (like slowing down beyond your current acceleration to merge in behind a slow truck when there's plenty of onramp and space in front of the truck to fill). As you said, go for those sensible merges.

I definitely want to hear more about this too...