Freeway on-ramp traffic lights

In traveling back and forth to the gym on the freeway during morning rush hour, I happen to hit on-ramp traffic lights both ways. As a result, I’ve been thinking a lot about this question – what is the purpose of freeway on-ramp traffic lights? I was always under the impression that a driver was supposed to use the freeway on-ramp to accelerate in order to reach (as closely as possible) the speed of the other cars on the freeway. So why install a traffic light at the point where the on-ramp meets the right-hand freeway lane? This means a driver accelerates, slows down to stop at the red light, and then attempts to merge into the flow of traffic at 10-20 miles an hour. Why? Unlike regular street traffic lights, it’s not like freeway on-ramp traffic lights help to regulate cross-traffic; everyone is going the same direction! It’s also not like freeway on-ramp traffic lights help to decrease the number of cars on the freeway; everyone gets on the freeway eventually, now they’re just merging in at a slower speed and more likely to get into an accident with drivers not paying attention as they cut across five lanes so as not to miss their right-hand exit. They seem counter-intuitive, freeway on-ramp traffic lights. Let’s have them uninstalled! More work for the never-ending road development workers, just how the government likes it.