Merging onto the Belt Parkway or the BQE for the first time can rattle even a confident new driver. The pace is faster, the lanes are tighter, and everyone around you seems to know exactly where they’re going. The good news: highway driving comes down to three repeatable stages, and once you’ve practiced each one with an instructor, the nerves fade fast.
New drivers should master three stages of highway driving: entering at traffic speed, choosing the right lane, and exiting a half mile ahead of your ramp. Practice on a lighter-traffic highway first, in clear weather, with an instructor who can coach you through merging and lane changes in real time.
Here’s what to know before you get behind the wheel on a New York highway.
The Three Stages of Highway Driving
1. Entering the Highway
The most common mistake new drivers make is entering at the wrong speed. By the end of the on-ramp, your car should be moving at roughly the same speed as the traffic you’re joining. If traffic is bumper to bumper, that might mean 15 mph. If the highway is flowing freely, it could mean matching a 50 or 60 mph pace.
Check your rearview mirror, signal, glance at your side mirror, and look over your shoulder. Once the gap is clear, merge into it smoothly, don’t stop on the ramp and wait for a perfect opening.
2. Driving on the Highway
Once you’re on, lane choice matters:
- Right lane: Slower traffic and highway exits
- Middle lane(s): Main traffic flow
- Left lane: Passing lane, faster-moving traffic
New drivers should stick to the right lane until they’ve built up confidence merging and reading traffic patterns.
3. Exiting the Highway
Move into the exit lane about half a mile before your exit. Check your rearview mirror, side mirror, and blind spot, then signal and merge over. Once you’re settled in the exit lane, turn your signal off and start slowing down, whether you’re headed to a stop sign, a traffic light, or another highway.
Book a lesson with Pierre Paul Driving and practice all three stages with an instructor next to you. Once it clicks, driving solo stops feeling like a leap of faith.
Is Passing on the Right Illegal in New York?
New York law requires drivers to stay right and pass on the left. Passing on the right is allowed only in specific situations, such as when a vehicle ahead is turning left, and only when it can be done safely.
Before changing lanes, signal at least 100 feet ahead using your turn signal or hand signal. You also can’t pass a vehicle that has stopped near a crosswalk to let pedestrians cross. For the full rundown, the DMV’s chapter on passing covers every scenario.
NYC’s Trickiest Highways for New Drivers
Not all NYC highways drive the same. If you’re practicing in Brooklyn, these are the routes you’ll likely encounter, and each has its own quirks:
- Belt Parkway: Runs along the south shore of Brooklyn and Queens, connecting to JFK and the Verrazzano Bridge. Traffic moves fast, and construction zones are common. Commercial trucks aren’t allowed, which keeps the mix of vehicles a bit more predictable.
- Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE/I-278): One of the most heavily used highways in the city, including the elevated triple-cantilever stretch through Brooklyn Heights. Expect merges that come up quickly and lanes that narrow with little warning.
- Gowanus Expressway: The southern leg of I-278, feeding into the BQE and the Verrazzano Bridge. Short on and off ramps make this one better tackled after you’ve had a few highway lessons under your belt.
Getting comfortable on one of these first, with an instructor coaching your merges, makes the rest of the city’s highway network far less intimidating.
Quick Safety Tips for New Highway Drivers
Watch for Construction Zones
Speed limits in construction zones can drop from 65 mph to 40 mph with little notice. Officers often patrol these stretches closely, since a construction-zone violation combined with speeding can mean two tickets at once. Keep your headlights on through work zones, even during the day.
Pick the Right Time to Start
Choose a lighter-traffic highway and a clear day for your first few highway drives. Rain, fog, or snow make merging and lane changes harder to judge, so save those conditions for later once you’ve built confidence.
Leave Space When Changing Lanes
Leave four to six seconds of space between your car and the one ahead when changing lanes. That gap gives you time to react to sudden braking or road debris. Always check your blind spot, side mirror, and rearview mirror before you move over.
Start in the Right Lane
Stick to the right lane the first several times you drive a new highway. It’s easier to hold your speed there without the pressure of faster traffic passing on both sides.
Use Your Turn Signals, Every Time
New York State treats failure to signal as a real ticket, not a warning. In 2023, Manhattan alone issued 9,693 failure-to-signal tickets, more than any other county in the state, followed by Nassau, Queens, and Suffolk. A first offense carries a fine of up to $150 (plus a mandatory state surcharge, bringing the total to around $138 to $150 in NYC), and it adds 2 points to your license. A second offense within 18 months can raise the fine to $300, and a third to $450.
Signal at least 100 feet before turning or changing lanes, whether or not you see another car nearby. There could be a vehicle in your blind spot you haven’t spotted yet.
You need to signal when:
- Changing lanes
- Turning left or right at an intersection
- Pulling over to the side of the road
- Parking on the side of a street
- Entering a driveway or parking lot
- Passing another vehicle
- Merging into traffic
Chapter 5 of the DMV website breaks down turns and intersections in more detail. At Pierre Paul Driving, we build signal habits into every lesson so they become automatic long before test day.
Keep a Wide Field of View
New drivers tend to stare straight ahead. On a highway, that’s not enough. Keep checking your mirrors and scan further down the road than feels natural at first, highway speeds close distance faster than you’d expect.
Stay Calm Behind the Wheel
Highway driving tests more than skill, it tests composure. If someone cuts you off, let it go. You don’t know what’s going on with that driver, and reacting emotionally puts you at more risk than the original mistake did. At Pierre Paul Driving, we coach teens and adults through exactly these moments so a bad interaction on the road doesn’t turn into a bad decision.
Cut Out Distractions
Distracted driving remains one of the most preventable causes of crashes on the road. NHTSA reported 3,275 distraction-affected traffic deaths nationwide in 2023, about 8 percent of all traffic fatalities that year, with over 324,000 people injured. Researchers believe the real numbers run even higher, since distraction is often underreported at the scene of a crash.
Drivers age 15 to 20 are overrepresented in these crashes: they make up about 9 percent of drivers in fatal crashes overall, but 11 percent of distracted drivers involved in them. New York has banned handheld phone use for calls for over two decades and texting while driving for more than 15 years, so the legal risk sits right alongside the safety risk.
Top Distractions for Teen Drivers
Friends in the car. Extra passengers mean more talking, more noise, and less focus. Don’t let a new driver take friends along until they’ve had at least a year of solo driving experience.
Phones. If a call or text can’t wait, pull over first. A number of driving apps can also help limit phone use automatically while the car is moving.
Music. Set a playlist or pick a station before pulling out, not while merging onto the highway. Keep the volume low enough to hear horns and sirens.
Structured driver education, like the lessons taught at a Brooklyn driving school, helps new drivers build habits that stick long after the lesson ends.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to get comfortable driving on NYC highways?
Most new drivers need several supervised sessions before highway driving starts to feel routine. Practicing the three core stages, entering, lane positioning, and exiting, with an instructor speeds up the process significantly compared to learning alone.
What’s the best highway in Brooklyn for a beginner to practice on?
The Belt Parkway is generally a better starting point than the BQE, since it has longer merge lanes and doesn’t allow commercial trucks. Start there before moving to tighter routes like the Gowanus.
Is it illegal to pass on the right in New York?
Generally yes, New York law expects drivers to pass on the left. Passing on the right is only allowed in limited situations and must be done safely.
How many points is a failure-to-signal ticket in NY?
Two points, with a fine of up to $150 for a first offense within 18 months, rising to $300 for a second and $450 for a third.
Ready to Learn Highway Driving the Right Way?
NYC highways move fast, but they’re learnable with the right guidance. At Pierre Paul Driving, we teach teens and adults how to merge, change lanes, and exit with confidence, on the actual highways you’ll be driving after you’re licensed. Contact us today for a free consultation, or check out our packages and pricing to get started.