Makes me think of Drum-Buffer-
Rope from Theory of Constraints. Maybe we need a pull system for roads. There are a few onramps on criminally undersized (due to nimby nutsos) highways in my area where a traffic light limits flow onto the road at busy times- smart. Then the same people put in stoplights at the ends of the offramps, backing traffic up onto the highway.
Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
101–110 of 149 posts
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#102This man is a saint. For years I've wished more people understood these principles. Instead, I get drivers who are angry at me for leaving a big space in front of my car. If only I pulled up right behind the car in front of me, they'd be 60 feet closer to their destination!! I wish more people would check this site out. Traffic is a real problem that wastes billions of taxpayer dollars and hours on the road every yea…
Minimum speeds aren't a good idea because of adverse weather conditions.
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#103I changed my driving patterns after first reading this remarkable essay some years ago. Now I follow what I affectionately call the "zen of driving", to wit: leave a huge gap in front of me, drive at a constant speed where possible [1], avoid using the brakes except in case of emergency, and so on. On long driving trips through mixed traffic, I have made several observations, some obvious and some surprising: * Drivi…
I started rolling like that when I got the Prius. You get some nice positive visual feedback when your instantaneous mileage maxes out.
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#104Earlier quoted context omitted.
I did exactly what you described on a recent 12 hour car trip. I'm never tailgating again. The main benefit for me, and one you don't mention, is safety. Knowing I have actual time to react in an emergency instead of being stuck with brake hard and pray I think really calms my subconscious.
I'm constantly surprised by how few people have heard of the "3 second rule". The rule is simple and works for any traveling speed: pick any arbitrary mark on the road, watch as the car in front of you passes it, and count 3 seconds. You want at the very minimum, 3 seconds to pass before you pass that same mark. This not only has the advantages described by the OP (he's definitely following it, if not calling it by n…
Of course, if it's wet weather, you'll want to increase that - say to a 4 second rule.
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
I did exactly what you described on a recent 12 hour car trip. I'm never tailgating again. The main benefit for me, and one you don't mention, is safety. Knowing I have actual time to react in an emergency instead of being stuck with brake hard and pray I think really calms my subconscious.
I'm constantly surprised by how few people have heard of the "3 second rule". The rule is simple and works for any traveling speed: pick any arbitrary mark on the road, watch as the car in front of you passes it, and count 3 seconds. You want at the very minimum, 3 seconds to pass before you pass that same mark. This not only has the advantages described by the OP (he's definitely following it, if not calling it by n…
Many people don't realize that, even if you can somehow stop instantaneously, you're much less likely to be hit from behind if you have time to gradually decelerate.
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#106Earlier quoted context omitted.
I did exactly what you described on a recent 12 hour car trip. I'm never tailgating again. The main benefit for me, and one you don't mention, is safety. Knowing I have actual time to react in an emergency instead of being stuck with brake hard and pray I think really calms my subconscious.
I'm constantly surprised by how few people have heard of the "3 second rule". The rule is simple and works for any traveling speed: pick any arbitrary mark on the road, watch as the car in front of you passes it, and count 3 seconds. You want at the very minimum, 3 seconds to pass before you pass that same mark. This not only has the advantages described by the OP (he's definitely following it, if not calling it by n…
I remember being taught more like 7 seconds, but that might have been for freeway driving.
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
In what part of the US do you live? Having just completed a cross-country move, I can assure you that driving behaviors wildly vary from coast to coast.
My observations are limited to highways in Ontario, Quebec, New York State, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.
I've seen some pretty crazy driving in Ontario on the 401 and the QEW. Especially driving in downtown Toronto on the Gardiner. I used to commute Toronto -> Niagara Falls for work, and I saw people do some pretty stupid stuff (people driving at freeway speeds @ 5am, pitch black with so much snow on the freeway that you can't see the pavement at all, and multiple spin-outs along the way).
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#108This essay should appear as a Public Service Broadcast through all media outlets.
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#109I changed my driving patterns after first reading this remarkable essay some years ago. Now I follow what I affectionately call the "zen of driving", to wit: leave a huge gap in front of me, drive at a constant speed where possible [1], avoid using the brakes except in case of emergency, and so on. On long driving trips through mixed traffic, I have made several observations, some obvious and some surprising: * Drivi…
That's not "zen" -- it's artificial regularity. Zen would be driving at what feels like a natural speed, only adjusting that when circumstances dictate, and "letting go" of your attachment to forward progress when something stands in your way. Instead, you're driving at an artificially limited speed to try to regularize your driving experience. You're tricking yourself into feeling less frustrated by consciously elim…
who is to say what zen is?
Re: Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic
#110I changed my driving patterns after first reading this remarkable essay some years ago. Now I follow what I affectionately call the "zen of driving", to wit: leave a huge gap in front of me, drive at a constant speed where possible [1], avoid using the brakes except in case of emergency, and so on. On long driving trips through mixed traffic, I have made several observations, some obvious and some surprising: * Drivi…
Not only does a manual transmission help, but it kind of pushes everyone into that kind of driving. Maybe it's just because you don't need brakes as much. When I drive an auto (usually rental), I find I'm a lot more aggressive.
I also fond that places with a higher percentage of auto drivers are heavier on the heavy traffic scooch-and-brake.