For your own safety, how to tell if you're clogging up the freeway

[InfiniteNothing]

I have a theory that it only takes a select few to start traffic. Here's a couple behaviors that I believe might help everyone out. Just remember, what goes around, comes around.


Frequently try and compare how much room you have infront of you to the room you have behind you. If you notice there are people behind you, and none in front for a while, change lanes to the right or speed up. You may think you're going plenty fast but you never know what speed they want to go.
Create a speed gradient by trying to go faster than the lane to your right and slower than the lane on your left.
If you're going to use a cell phone, please stick to the right two lanes.
When traffic breaks, try and use clear lanes and speed up... there are lots of people behind you.

Thanks everyone, I'll try and see if I can come up with some more.

[PrObLy]

Good call.

What gets me the most upset are these two things:

1) The people in the left lane that won't speed up and force you to pass them on the right...and then have the nerve to accelerate when you do so.

and

2) The semis that insist on going one MPH faster than the other trucks and proceed to take the next 10 minutes to pass 3 other semis. This happens a lot on my trip to school and home down 2 lane I-80

[MrGreg]

2) The semis that insist on going one MPH faster than the other trucks and proceed to take the next 10 minutes to pass 3 other semis. This happens a lot on my trip to school and home down 2 lane I-80

This might have something to do with governors that limit the speeds of corporate owned trucks.



Watch for brake lights, not just on the car in front of you, but cars 10-15 seconds in front of you. This gives you more of a chance to stop in time and avoid a huge pile-up.

[civicdidex]

along with using a cell phone, eating is another big distraction

[Bires]

Uhm...how about:

Be patient.

Believe it or not, those of you that complain about people travelling too slow in the left lane (that forces you to pass on the right) are a large part of the problem with congestion. :rolleyes:

You pass too close to drivers in the right lane, they brake, causing the contageous brake-lights for miles behind you.

[Yossarian]

If you're going the same speed as the cars in the right lane, yet you are in the left lane, move over to the right.

use both lanes to the merge point, then go every other

[PrObLy]

Uhm...how about:

Be patient.

Believe it or not, those of you that complain about people travelling too slow in the left lane (that forces you to pass on the right) are a large part of the problem with congestion. :rolleyes:

You pass too close to drivers in the right lane, they brake, causing the contageous brake-lights for miles behind you.


I do agree with you Bires, but maybe I should have elaborated more on my comment.

When someone is going under the speed limit and sitting in the left lane even after you have made your self visible in their mirrors (some people choose to tailgate, but I think that's a bit excessive/dangerous) and flashed your lights at them you are left with no other option than to pass the person on the right when there is a safe amount of open distance.

My particular gripe was with those who then accelerate when you or other drivers attempt to safely pass the slow driver....like the guy knows he's going slow but refuses to let people around him. Believe it or not, this happens A LOT. It creates very unsafe situations because the people trying to pass and proceed at the posted speed limit then have to make a choice to either get on the accelerator or get on the brakes which would cause exactly as you described.

I'm not sure what the law is where you are from but in Illinois it is illegal to NOT move to the right lane when people from behind you are approaching, no matter what speed you may be going. The only time this does not apply is during rush hour or other times when it's unlikely to be able to move to the right lane, I would assume it also doesn't apply through construction zones either.

[InfiniteNothing]

Uhm...how about:

Be patient.

Believe it or not, those of you that complain about people travelling too slow in the left lane (that forces you to pass on the right) are a large part of the problem with congestion. :rolleyes:

You pass too close to drivers in the right lane, they brake, causing the contageous brake-lights for miles behind you. I don't see how that causes traffic. Seems like it would be fine once the passer moves back left. :shrug: Also studies show that people changing lanes stirs up traffic improving it. It's when everything's stangent (and everyone follows the person infront of them) that things become a problem.

[bachviet]

...

2) The semis that insist on going one MPH faster than the other trucks and proceed to take the next 10 minutes to pass 3 other semis. This happens a lot on my trip to school and home down 2 lane I-80
Same thing happens to me every time I go to LV on the 2-lane I-15.

Also if pple on your right are moving faster than you, you are driving way tooo sloooooooooooooow.

[civicdidex]

buy motorcycles?

[Bires]

I don't see how that causes traffic. Seems like it would be fine once the passer moves back left. :shrug:
When someone applies their brakes because someone passed next to them (now very close in front of them) people behind them will apply their brakes and behind them will apply their brakes, then people try to pass those people on the left...

NBC did a story (in May, I think) about the contageous brake light issue and its effect on traffic-it was considerable.

I fail to see how stirring up traffic would improve it. You would need space in front and behind you in both lanes to pass, not just in one, as you would need if you didn't pass. Seems to me that frequent passing increases congestion. Perhaps you can share links to these studies?

[Mike_N_Ike]

This type of stuff has always intrigued me. If there was a traffic major in college, I think I would have taken it.

By the way, I think that civicdidex is on to something...

[Thesifer]

When someone applies their brakes because someone passed next to them (now very close in front of them) people behind them will apply their brakes and behind them will apply their brakes, then people try to pass those people on the left...

NBC did a story (in May, I think) about the contageous brake light issue and its effect on traffic-it was considerable.

I fail to see how stirring up traffic would improve it. You would need space in front and behind you in both lanes to pass, not just in one, as you would need if you didn't pass. Seems to me that frequent passing increases congestion. Perhaps you can share links to these studies?

If you stay behind a guy in the FAST Lane and he is Say doing 60.. or even 65.. for example.. In some states they made it illegal for him to stay in that lane if people are trying to go faster, whether or not the people going faster are speeding or not. It creates an unsafe condition and stops up more traffic on the roadway. If someone is going 60 or so and refuses to move over from the fast lane, they are the problem not the person that passes them. The people that keep following that person causes everyone else behind them to slow down are also a big part of the problem. Also people are WAY To interested (atleast in california) about cars along the side of the road. Its California, you aren't going to stop and help that person, so keep on your accelerator like normal and drive on by. ITS JUST A FLAT TIRE. Or whatever else is wrong. I noticed going to LV on the 15 is where that is the absolute worst. Specially being that there are probably 30-50 cars on a given day broken down along the side of the road. We were stuck in traffic for 2 hours because some guys decided to pull off the road with their group and talk. (nothing noticeably wrong with the vehicles and no one was working on anything) Although the greatest traffic I ran into was on the 8 West in San Diego , there is a Stop Light for the On Ramp traffic in the mornings to control congestion, which happens to be viewable right after a bend in the I-8 Freeway, So what happens??? .. You guessed it, people slow down and almost stop because they somehow THINK ITS FOR THEM. I do not really understand where people get licenses, and I guess a good many of them are unlicensed "Foreigners" in california anyways. I hate california drivers.

[InfiniteNothing]

When someone applies their brakes because someone passed next to them (now very close in front of them) people behind them will apply their brakes and behind them will apply their brakes, then people try to pass those people on the left...

NBC did a story (in May, I think) about the contageous brake light issue and its effect on traffic-it was considerable.

I fail to see how stirring up traffic would improve it. You would need space in front and behind you in both lanes to pass, not just in one, as you would need if you didn't pass. Seems to me that frequent passing increases congestion. Perhaps you can share links to these studies?

Honestly, I just don't get it. Why would someone brake when someone passes next to them? I can see how breaking is contagious but once the person has moved back to the left everything moves forward and the right lane is now where it was again. Also, everyone in the left lane (behind the slow guy) is up one car (this is why changing lanes works). I'll try and see if I can find the study. They also found that fog makes people feel like they're moving slower than they really are.

[Mike_N_Ike]

I think that people just need to be more attentive to the road. The more multitasking going on on the freeways, the more traffic you're going to see. The longer people take to get going again after they've slowed down (or more commonly after they've come to a stop), the longer everybody is going to have to wait. I know that stopping distance is important and it is a function of velocity...so the ripple effect is unavoidable in a lot of cases...but if people put their attention on driving and not talking on the phone/reading/eating/doing makeup/shaving/rubber-necking or whatever else, traffic would move a LOT faster in most of the cases that have been brought up here.

If a car cuts in front of you and you're paying attention, you can reduce speed to allow for a safe distance between you and that car at a reasonable rate - causing the ripple effect to be minimal. If you're not paying attention, and you happen to look up and see a car right in front of you and brake really hard because you don't know how fast the car is going (or whatever else is going on around you), you're going to cause a shockwave of brake lights behind you and slow a lot more people down.

[Bires]

Why would someone brake when someone passes next to them?

To recreate the safety buffer in front of them that the passing vehicle eliminated.


I think that people just need to be more attentive to the road.
:stupid: The crux of the thing right there.

[Jeffbx]

Here's a very simple rule that most people ignore:

Right lane is for driving

Left lane is for passing

When you're done passing, get back over. If you're in the left lane & someone is right behind you, get out of their way. In many states this is a law. It's rarely enforced, but a law nonetheless.

If you're driving & some idiot passed you on the right - guess what? You're the idiot, not them. You shouldn't be driving in the left lane when the right lane is open - it's against the law (in Michigan, it's called 'improper lane use' or 'impeding traffic').

[guiseppewv]

If you're driving & some idiot passed you on the right - guess what? You're the idiot, not them.

:stupid:

The "idiot" is the one in the fast lane slowing down traffic.

[Yossarian]

When you're done passing, get back over. If you're in the left lane & someone is right behind you, get out of their way. In many states this is a law. It's rarely enforced, but a law nonetheless.



:stupid: to the rest of the post

i've noticed that PA staties are actually starting to crack down on this. over the 4th july weekend, driving through NJ on I-80, there was NO ONE in the left lane, unless there was lots of room to pass.(ie, pass 3 cars, but land in a space in front of them the size of 2-3 tractor trailors) and traffic was moving at a fine clip. i never once had to do less than 65 until we hit the nasty ass toll plaza. same story out on long island.

on the way back out, thre was a little more traffic on the left, but that was a part of morning rush hour. even then, traffic was never slowed up. for anything other than the bicycle(yes, bicycle) that was dodging and weaving through traffic

[Airencracken]

:stupid: With IN and JeffBx

[rasetsu]

It's amazing how even somthing as simple as this can cause a debate. If 1) a car is riding your bumper or 2) the cars on your right are moving faster than you, then please just move the f over to the right. I honestly don't care if you want to go at your "safe speed" because 65 is the limit or whoaaa, 70 is fast enough or whatever. Just do it in the right lane. No one will blame you for going 55 in the right lane.

PLEASE pay attention to your surroundings. Flashing high beams means please move over if it's coming from the person behind you when you're in the left lane. The ball is in your court because passing on the right is illegal so be courteous and move over. It's not your place to block them because you think they are going too fast or whatever. DON'T leave your blinkers on. Fix your busted tail lights. When you brake and that little red warning light for "BRAKES" lights up on your dash, it usually means a busted tail lamp and not that your brakes are working. Don't ignore it. It's a cheap and easy fix. One last thing, when you're in the right lane, pay attention to cars merging in and out for the ramps. Adjust your speed accordingly. Don't just sit there and cruise like a dumb arse. And keep cell phone use to a minimum.

[Nanotech9]

bires - if a person is passing, they'r epassing... they create the safety buffer... assuming the pass someone that has room in front of them (obviously, since they're going slow holding things up) they'll merge back in front with plenty of buffer as they merge.

Also, get this - if theres room for someone to move over to the right, pass, and move back over to the left, then theres plenty of room for the person they just passed to have moved over and let everyone pass him in the fast lane.

most people go over the speed limit by 5 10, even 15mph on a regular basis in the fast lane... one person driving at 5mph over, right next to another car also doing 5mph over in the nex lane (or lanes) over to the right can start holding up 100's of cars within just a short few minuets....

on average, it takes me say, 10 secs to pass a car thats traveling next to me one lane over.... so, thats about 6 cars a min that can pass... maybe as much as 10 depending on how fast they're moving.

now, if i have to slow down my pace, theres 5 secs, then check for a viable hole in traffic - theres 5 secs... then move over 5sec, then accelerate forward 10secs, then move back over, 5sec, then accelerate again to my regular speed... theres 30secs to pass.... as i'm passing, 3 cars have stacked up bhind this driver... the next guy goes to manuever, but he has to wait for me to clear the "hole" on the right... so he has to wait 20 secs before he can make the first move... so, now, it just took him 50 secs to pass instead of 30... and every person behind him will take 50 secs to pass also. each car that moves through reduces the line by a max of 10 secs (the normal passing speed)... so, if hes there for 10 cars to pass, thats almost 9min. In 9min, 54 cars have piles up behind him... i think. or maybe its 42.... Anyway. Thats all assuming the person one lane to the right doesnt speed up and block the hole.

interesting huh?

[BigJon]

Traffic? What traffic? Did I mention I drive a monster truck?

[Bires]

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above- average drivers."
-- Dave Barry (http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/3419)

[Grimm]

The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above- average drivers."
-- Dave Barry
Not I.
I am a crappy driver. I drive to fast, don't allow enough following distance, don't always signal, and don't pay enough attention. But at least I know it.

[guiseppewv]

Not I.
I am a crappy driver. I drive to fast, don't allow enough following distance, don't always signal, and don't pay enough attention. But at least I know it.

I think you should have said "at least I don't hold people up by driving in the fast lane when I am not passing anyone". :)

[Nanotech9]

well, theres always room for improvement, and i'm sure i do a lot of bad things (i.e. go way to fast all teh time, get impatient, etc) but not only do i think i'm a better driver than most, i KNOW i am... i have the time slips to prove it. And i'm not talking the ones the occifers hand you... i'm talking the posted times at autocross and club touring type events put on by the SCCA and PCA clubs here locally.

like i said though, theres always room for improvement. :)

[guiseppewv]

Along the lines of traffic: Why do people slow down when they are in a tunnel? People speed and then they get in a tunnel and slow down below the speed limit. Then they get out of the tunnel and go back to speeding? I am not talking about people who aren't used to driving in a tunnel either. It is somewhat prevelant through the harbor and Ft. McHenry tunnels in B-more but it was even worse in the Ft. Pitt and Liberty tubes in Pittsburgh.