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I've noticed this tends to not matter so much if you're not the one driving, more so if you're in the backseat. Self-drive cars anyone?
He should also test switching to the slower-looking lane in anticipation of others switching to the faster-looking lane.
I often find that by moving right I pass a TON of people who shifted left in anticipation of heavy traffic ahead.. left lanes back up, right lanes open up.
Seems to work better than sticking with a lane. Probably just the placebo effect, but I'll take it.
[1] http://plus.maths.org/content/cars-next-lane-really-do-go-fa...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regardless of their perceptions or actual travel speeds, the lane-switchers could be providing a much needed liquidity between the more dynamic right lanes (with entrances and exits) and the more static left lanes. Perhaps it's in doing so that they unwittingly ensure that everyone arrives at the same time. (Although it's almost certainly not the optimal time…)
I was thinking the opposite - lane switchers cause "turbulence" in the flow and hence contribute to slowing everyone down.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It kinda does actually. It speaks to the fact that perception of moving faster does not match reality.
Regardless of their perceptions or actual travel speeds, the lane-switchers could be providing a much needed liquidity between the more dynamic right lanes (with entrances and exits) and the more static left lanes. Perhaps it's in doing so that they unwittingly ensure that everyone arrives at the same time. (Although it's almost certainly not the optimal time…)
I'd love to see some work done to figure this out.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
It kinda does actually. It speaks to the fact that perception of moving faster does not match reality.
Regardless of their perceptions or actual travel speeds, the lane-switchers could be providing a much needed liquidity between the more dynamic right lanes (with entrances and exits) and the more static left lanes. Perhaps it's in doing so that they unwittingly ensure that everyone arrives at the same time. (Although it's almost certainly not the optimal time…)
Regardless, for me the best strategy is to almost never switch lanes. Even when I do switch, 15 minutes later I see somebody that I had passed earlier zipping by me in another lane. There is no value in switching for me that I can determine, and my commute is much more pleasant when I stop thinking about how to get one car length ahead. Whether the lane switchers improve efficiency or reduce it doesn't change that equation for me.
I said 'almost never'. There are a few places on my commute where free lanes are predictable - everyone is merging right to try to get to get onto some interchange, that so several lanes back up, while the people who are trying to stay on the same road can move left and travel quickly. But even then, what are you optimizing for? Maybe 15seconds? Sure, it is more than that in the moment, as you can sit in the slow lanes for a few minutes, but all you do if you move left is rush ahead to the next back up.
Having tested this by noting the positions of large distinct trucks that I can see form a distance, I've noticed that I do get through the jam faster this way.
He should also test switching to the slower-looking lane in anticipation of others switching to the faster-looking lane.
I often find that by moving right I pass a TON of people who shifted left in anticipation of heavy traffic ahead.. left lanes back up, right lanes open up.
What I do in crawling traffic is stay in 1st gear at a steady pace and stay in the same lane to reduce the annoyance of starting & stopping so much. You'll notice that large semi trucks do this too. It really benefits everyone if more people did this.