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Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

nautil.us

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Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#11

Post by cryptonector »

c22 wrote: post #8
fosk wrote: post #2

In the US one of the biggest problems I have experienced is that drivers do not adhere to the international rule of having slow drivers on the right side of the freeway, especially in California. As a result to this there are more lane splitting episodes (even within the speed limit) in order to finally being able to keep moving at a faster speed because the lane is effectively blocked by other drivers. In addition t…

One of the biggest problems I experience on freeways in the US is that traveling 5 or even 10 mph above the posted speed limit makes you a "slow driver". So even though you might feel that travelling at or above the maximum legal speed limit should give you the right to occupy the "fast" lane someone will prove you wrong by screaming up your ass at 80 mph, 90 mph, or more, flashing their high beams and becoming irate…

You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go faster.

You do not know who has an emergency, and who doesn't. You don't get to enforce one law (speed limits) and flout the other (yield the passing lane). In fact, you don't get to enforce any laws if that isn't your job, and if it were your job, you should not disregard one of those laws.

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#12

Post by Agustus »

legohead wrote: post #9

I've been intrigued by traffic after moving to SoCal from Oklahoma. day after day you will hit pockets of slowness only to find out there was no obstruction. in the past I read about 'shockwaves' in traffic. one guy changes lanes too fast, which causes multiple lanes to hit their brakes, and then you get the shockwave effect ("Jamiton" in this article) and it lasts a long time. but after doing enough highway driving,…

Yes. The Highway Capacity Manual is a compendium if work by the traffic engineering professionals that examines data and observations to develop theories and approaches to traffic.

If you have a freeway with no on ramps nearby (usually 6 miles) then you should be free of traffic issues if the roadway throughput (1,500 per lane per hour), if it goes above that then crazy agents in the traffic do not allow for distances between vehicles and the brake of one individual creates a cascading effect. This is one cause of back ups.

The next is if you have an on ramp on said freeway, there must be enough capacity for the freeway to absorb those vehicles in. Additionally, you need to have space and time for the vehicle to merge in. If the driver does not feel safe or have enough distance, they will perform erratic moves to get on, which will slow down traffic in the aforementioned cascade.

If a highway on-ramp is failing, it is usually due to a political person pushing for it. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has a long list of requirements for a new ramp, and they are very well thought out to prevent issues and are good to work with.

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#13

Post by c22 »

cryptonector wrote: post #11
c22 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the biggest problems I experience on freeways in the US is that traveling 5 or even 10 mph above the posted speed limit makes you a "slow driver". So even though you might feel that travelling at or above the maximum legal speed limit should give you the right to occupy the "fast" lane someone will prove you wrong by screaming up your ass at 80 mph, 90 mph, or more, flashing their high beams and becoming irate…

You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go faster. You do not know who has an emergency , and who doesn't. You don't get to enforce one law (speed limits) and flout the other (yield the passing lane). In fact, you don't get to enforce any laws if that isn't your job, and if it were your job, you should…

Hey, I exclusively drive the speed limit in the right or middle lane. This is just an observation I've made that seemed relevant. For what it's worth, I highly doubt that there was any sort of "emergency" involved in the vast majority of times I've observed this behavior. Also, apart from properly lighted emergency vehicles no one has the right to exceed the speed limit regardless of the situation.

Edit: According to this resource[0] only 4 states require you to yield to faster traffic approaching from behind in the left lane, so this seems to be far from a universal requirement.

[0] https://www.mit.edu/~jfc/right.html

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#14

Post by yeuuehhr »

cryptonector wrote: post #11
c22 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the biggest problems I experience on freeways in the US is that traveling 5 or even 10 mph above the posted speed limit makes you a "slow driver". So even though you might feel that travelling at or above the maximum legal speed limit should give you the right to occupy the "fast" lane someone will prove you wrong by screaming up your ass at 80 mph, 90 mph, or more, flashing their high beams and becoming irate…

You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go faster. You do not know who has an emergency , and who doesn't. You don't get to enforce one law (speed limits) and flout the other (yield the passing lane). In fact, you don't get to enforce any laws if that isn't your job, and if it were your job, you should…

Fuck you and follow the law dip shit. You're going to get people killed because you feel entited to drive like a maniac.

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#15

Post by electriclove »

c22 wrote: post #8
fosk wrote: post #2

In the US one of the biggest problems I have experienced is that drivers do not adhere to the international rule of having slow drivers on the right side of the freeway, especially in California. As a result to this there are more lane splitting episodes (even within the speed limit) in order to finally being able to keep moving at a faster speed because the lane is effectively blocked by other drivers. In addition t…

One of the biggest problems I experience on freeways in the US is that traveling 5 or even 10 mph above the posted speed limit makes you a "slow driver". So even though you might feel that travelling at or above the maximum legal speed limit should give you the right to occupy the "fast" lane someone will prove you wrong by screaming up your ass at 80 mph, 90 mph, or more, flashing their high beams and becoming irate…

'You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go faster.'

Not directed at OP, but I wish more people understood this!

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#16

Post by robmaister »

legohead wrote: post #9

I've been intrigued by traffic after moving to SoCal from Oklahoma. day after day you will hit pockets of slowness only to find out there was no obstruction. in the past I read about 'shockwaves' in traffic. one guy changes lanes too fast, which causes multiple lanes to hit their brakes, and then you get the shockwave effect ("Jamiton" in this article) and it lasts a long time. but after doing enough highway driving,…

I've found that a lot of times it's not an onramp merging into you, it's people waiting until the last second to merge to an offramp and slamming on the brakes and/or cutting off someone to not miss the exit.

I deal with this every day when I come home from work on my exit off the 405. People don't want to wait in line because it's slow, but it's slow because those people cut in at the last second and cause the entire lane to apply the brakes.

The 405/55 interchange is another example of that, particularly 405N to 55N in the evenings.

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#17

Post by [deleted] »

fosk wrote: post #2

In the US one of the biggest problems I have experienced is that drivers do not adhere to the international rule of having slow drivers on the right side of the freeway, especially in California. As a result to this there are more lane splitting episodes (even within the speed limit) in order to finally being able to keep moving at a faster speed because the lane is effectively blocked by other drivers. In addition t…

[deleted]

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#18

Post by vladvasiliu »

fosk wrote: post #2

In the US one of the biggest problems I have experienced is that drivers do not adhere to the international rule of having slow drivers on the right side of the freeway, especially in California. As a result to this there are more lane splitting episodes (even within the speed limit) in order to finally being able to keep moving at a faster speed because the lane is effectively blocked by other drivers. In addition t…

This is far from universal in Europe. In France, in places where highways have at least three lanes people tend to drive in the middle lane even when traffic is light. Most of the time, outside cities, merge lanes tend to be long enough even for trucks to be able to speed up enough and onramps are relatively far between so I doubt the reason people drive in the middle lane is to avoid incoming traffic.

I could see how around Paris this might be learned behaviour for a reason similar to that described in SoCal by a sibling poster. The Périphérique (the ring road around Paris proper) has mostly 3 or more lanes and looks like a highway but is not actually one. The most important difference is that traffic on the Périphérique has to yield to incoming traffic. Of course, onramps being relatively short and with bad visibility coupled with the fact that Parisians don't reliably yield when they're supposed to, has the effect of slowing traffic a lot at merge points which makes it a pain to drive in the right lane even if the traffic is relatively light.

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#19

Post by ikeyany »

robmaister wrote: post #16
legohead wrote: post #9

I've been intrigued by traffic after moving to SoCal from Oklahoma. day after day you will hit pockets of slowness only to find out there was no obstruction. in the past I read about 'shockwaves' in traffic. one guy changes lanes too fast, which causes multiple lanes to hit their brakes, and then you get the shockwave effect ("Jamiton" in this article) and it lasts a long time. but after doing enough highway driving,…

I've found that a lot of times it's not an onramp merging into you, it's people waiting until the last second to merge to an offramp and slamming on the brakes and/or cutting off someone to not miss the exit. I deal with this every day when I come home from work on my exit off the 405. People don't want to wait in line because it's slow, but it's slow because those people cut in at the last second and cause the entir…

You are absolutely correct. In my experience, traffic is caused by drivers who 1) refuse to plan ahead and 2) are fine with fucking over other people in an effort to mitigate that lack of planning ahead.

Re: Why a Traffic Flow Suddenly Turns into a Traffic Jam (2013)

#20

Post by Scea91 »

cryptonector wrote: post #11
c22 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the biggest problems I experience on freeways in the US is that traveling 5 or even 10 mph above the posted speed limit makes you a "slow driver". So even though you might feel that travelling at or above the maximum legal speed limit should give you the right to occupy the "fast" lane someone will prove you wrong by screaming up your ass at 80 mph, 90 mph, or more, flashing their high beams and becoming irate…

You don't get the "right" to "occupy" the left lane just because you're going fast. You have the obligation to yield the passing lane to anyone who wants to go faster. You do not know who has an emergency , and who doesn't. You don't get to enforce one law (speed limits) and flout the other (yield the passing lane). In fact, you don't get to enforce any laws if that isn't your job, and if it were your job, you should…

What is the rule exactly?

1) Yield the passing lane for anyone that wants to go faster

or

2) Yield the passing lane if lane on the right is free.

I am asking because I am not sure, but (2) would make more sense to me. You should not be required to break the speed limit to be allowed to pass the slower traffic.

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