What Causes Traffic?

As some of you know, I'm a regular "Today Show" watcher. Occasionally they actually run a pertinent piece relating to cars. Not often, but sometimes. This morning, Matt Lauer sat down with Tom Vanderbilt, author of the book "Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do" to discuss why traffic seems so bad.

There are some good tips mentioned in the clip below, including a quiz where Lauer and Meredith Vieira match wits. Unfortunately, besides not tailgating, there weren't a lot of suggestions about what a driver can do to help traffic move along. We guess you'll have to buy the book to find out. Video clip below.

Comments

There were two other issues mentioned.

1. gawkers block, people slowing to look at the accident slowing traffic in both directions. 12$ increase in congestion even when the vehicles are off the road and not blocking traffic.

2. Distractions in the car, cell phones, children etc. Some huge percentage of accidents were attributed to the drivers attention not being on the road 3 seconds prior to the collision.

Overall it seems to point to the focus of the driver while behind the wheel should be driving

Ralphie,
Yeah I meant more driving measures, like don't change lanes frequently, anticipate your exit etc.

Question:
Let's assume this situation: On a BUSY off-ramp (say 200 ft from the exit where the line is non-solid assuming that 50 ft closer to the exit is solid line (which you're not supposed to change the lane....by traffic law). Most of the cars are on the line/queue by staying on the right lane as far as 0.5 mile to get out of that exit. Is it OK to go on the left land and take the ramp at that "200-ft range" and cause a lot of traffic on the entire highway?

The thing is this is not illegal; however it does cause traffic. This is call public awareness. There are many other similar situations as well. My personal opinion is that its regularly happen in the developing countries and some urban areas (e.g., Newark, NJ). How do we fix this? FYI, I came from (and will go back) a developing country. I study in Newark (where I see this problem) and work in Morristown (where I don't see this problem too often).

Sorry for the long awful-English writing. I just want to give some example and hope we can make things better. Thanks!

The fact that you are slowing to look at an accident is bad driving and contributes to congestion. The fact that you are reaching into the back of the car to pull your two hellspawn apart is bad driving.

In both these cases drivers can reduce the congestion through driving measures, maintaining speed and focusing on driving not on outside distractions.

Nothing snarls traffic more than fool that comes out of the left lane/car pool lane 300 ft before his right hand off exit ramp cutting across 5 lanes of traffic and usally the gore point of the off ramp without a turn signal and yelling at someone on the phone.

The worst ones are the ones you see doing the same thing everyday and think that you think he's a tourist and doesn't know the area.

Traffic are caused by traffic flow exceeds the road's capacity. And it also happens when drivers are not focusing on driving or tailgating making them more prone to ride on the brake pedals. Then the whole chain reaction takes place.

I no longer fear traffic as Obama is going to fix it. I know this because he said so. He can fix everything and anything.

Big Government Logic:

Many accidents are caused by distractions

Distractions are caused by (among other things) putting on makeup and watching children.

Ergo: Take women and families off the road and reduce accidents, improve traffic, and reduce global warming!

Eureka! Where's my Nobel Prize?

(this entire post is sarcasm, and does not reflect the views and opinions of Infosaur's managment, sponsors or corporate partners, more commonly refered to as "yes dear".)