Breaking Up a Traffic Jam!

Nah, since it's fairly easy to pass me. Very few do so (like, only once or twice per week.) Instead, over several years I've noticed that more and more other commuters are "creating holes" and letting people merge there. Perhaps my behavior is infectious, and if one person lets people in, then others start doing it too? Maybe they all noticed that it really does "bust the jam" and speed things up? Or maybe they all read trafficwaves.org

If All of the people who aren't going "fast" would get out of the the "fast lane" then there would be a "passing lane" that would be open.

You're not some guru. you're just one more person in the fast lane who refuses to:
be passing someone by going "fast".

Leave you're HOLE in the slow lane from now on. Maybe others will follow you then. Hell, maybe the middle 4 lanes even. (now days)

Derek Lee

> if all the people who aren't going fast would get out of the fast lane

Here's the secret that only the professionals know: all the drivers ahead of you ...they're thinking exactly the same thing: "I'M not driving slow, I'm being blocked! Obviously the people ahead of me aren't being blocked, instead they're driving slow ON PURPOSE."

Every single person ahead of you is thinking this. Same as you. They all crowd angrily together as they try to push ahead. Look behind you and you'll see another "you:" an angry driver riding your tail, convinced that you're the slow one, not him. They're like ignorant people trying to escape a burning building. They don't believe that thoughtful organized behavior will save them, instead they think that the clogged doorway will magically become clear if they only push harder against the guy ahead of them.

And ...the right lane goes much faster! This is no mystery: all the road-ragers are over in the left lane.

The actual traffic rule is very simple: the speed of a lane is determined by the spacing of the cars. A cluster of drivers will slow way down if they're stupid enough to try pushing ahead and tailgating. There's another more complicated rule as well: there's nothing far ahead to block the lane, and the jam is actually a travelling wave maintained by driver anger.

lol. Better watch the video again. Or perhaps listen to it? I'm in the exit-only lane. The lane to my right is another exit lane too. The actual "fast lane" is TWO lanes over.

I have been utilizing the tried and true slower speeds because of better gas mileage. By NOT braking and speeding all the time, you save gas.

There is also another more "Zen" effect that this relaxed and considerate driving has on others. I always if you are already late - You will still be late when you arrive - so long as you arrive. Think safely and and think "Zen"

I noticed several times that this daily traffic jam in the left-hand exit lane would totally vanish ahead of me. Very weird. How can one driver possibly have such an effect? It was because I'd been maintaining a large forward space. Unexpectedly this allows people to merge early. Since the whole jam was caused by "cheaters" down at the end... if the supply of "cheaters" dries up, the jam goes poof.

This doesn't happen on most Seattle jams. The jam at the I-5 express lanes exit is "sensitive." It's easy to trigger a jam there... but also easy to wipe one away.

The left lane is not for passing, it's for EXIT ONLY, see the big signs going past? Hear my description? The lane next to mine is exit-only as well. That's the whole point of this video.

Now if you're talking about the "fast lane," well, that one is two lanes over to the right.

I'm driving at the same speed as the car ahead. But I'm preserving a large space and not zooming ahead for a 1/2 sec.

But also I'm LETTING DRIVERS MERGE!!! But doesn't that slow everyone down? No, since tje flow is 1 to 2 seconds per car, and if I let someone merge ahead, I'll be two seconds late for work. That's nothing when compared to even a small jam.

But if I don't let people merge, they'll force their way in anyway, which takes ten seconds or more. Or it triggers a persistant jam, which adds many minutes to my commute.

So... attempting to speed during congestion makes you slow. Backing off will speed you up.

Think like this: during a fire in a crowded restaurant, every second counts, right? So ...shouldn't everyone push hard ahead towards the door? Nope, since that clogs the doorway. Then you burn to death.

> i cant do this in my country

Watch the large trucks in your local traffic jams. If they can't maintain large forward space, then small cars can't do it either. But if you see trucks performing the "traffic smoothing" trick...