On my average commute sometimes I'll find this one same driver that would be in the lane next to the exit lane, carefully get to the edge of the white dotted line farther away from the exit lane, turn on his turn signal, and then near the dotted lane near the exit lane. If he starts the lane change regardless of whether they give him space, theyre scared as s**t. It looks as if he started the lane change when he gets to the edge and fakes it. He always gets room.
I take exception with the "cheaters" term. Both lanes should be utilized and at the same time all cars should leave 5 car lengths of space behind the next car. That way there is plenty of room for cars to merge without breaking and who cares if one more car get's in? I let everyone in. You can either increase someone else's stress or you can decrease it, it's up to you alone.
@VikefanTony But "late mergers" pace the cars in the other lane while signaling to merge. Sometimes/usually the full lane lets them in.
The Cheaters on the other hand use the empty lane to race down to the far end. That gives a big "ha ha screw you" to the cars in the other lane, who try to block them.
But if lots of late mergers get a "zipper" going, then both lanes fill up. There's no empty lane, no cheaters. The jam drains off.
I do not go to the extreme that this driver does, but I always, always always leave at least 5 car lengths in front of me. I'm not breaking the wave like he is but I'm breaking less and having much less stress on my drive. One day on the way to work in about 1992 I got sick of fighting the left lane constantly, getting pissed off at drivers who didn't merge right for me quick enough and decided to just drive in the right lane and let people in. I didn't lose any time at all.
In fact, I've seen complaints from LA people that driving has recently changed: too many people are leaving huge empty spaces! They thought it must be caused by cellphone texting. Heh.
I have to disagree about 'cheaters'. It is better that the cars on the road use ALL of the available road space. So if lanes merge, for example, then you should go all the way down the outside until you have to merge. However, what you are saying about people who don't let others in IS true. Those on the inside should let those on the outside in, for sure, because they aren't 'cheaters'
@thesh0ck You are not listening to him. Just slow the F down! Everybody drives too fast these days. Be courteous and let the drivers in. You are not gaining hardly any time by squeezing your car up against the car in front of you.
@thearbitre Don't even need to drive slow. Just maintain a fixed gap. Doesn't matter whether your gap is one foot or one hundred. Your own speed doesn't change.
But pushing ahead and tailgating like a maniac FEELS FAST. It isn't. After all, to shave only 5min off of a half-hour commute, you'd have to pass 200-300 other cars.
He needs to do like trucker mudflaps say: BACK OFF. Backing off isn't slow driving, it's just non-tailgating.
@wbeaty Didn't mean to imply driving slow was the solution. Everything you said is exactly the same conclusions I have come up with. What I meant was just as you said...Back off. There is no need to be right on the bumper of the car in front of you.
Why don't you turn the camera around to see what kind of traffic you are causing. You are also causing road rage by leaving huge gaps ahead of you. Drivers behind you will see that and try to merge right, then cut you off. You have no effect on traffic, you may be calm but you're also pissing everybody on the road off.
Why don't you turn the camera around to see what kind of traffic
@SoCaLStylZ88 Yeah, I need two cams and a splitscreen to show that traffic behind me is perfectly smooth. But then, why wouldn't it be? If I drive at a set speed, then nobody behind me has any reason to go differently. (Also, a rear cam would show that nobody is leaving my lane and rushing down to the end. Those fast vehicles to my right are all just stuck in the wrong lane and looking for a way to merge.)
@wbeaty I assume you're lucky then, or just don't have to deal with NY drivers. Here on Long Island I see it every morning, there is always 2 or 3 people that leave big gaps, which leads to 10 cars tail gating each other and gunning it as soon as the middle lane clears. Even though those cars gunning it don't really make progress, it still creates a dangerous situation of road rage, and I believe road rage is contagious.
> This isn't common sense? What is wrong with everyone...
@NicoleBGarcia Suppose that most people actually believe tailgating can speed you up? Or they believe that they'll gain ten minutes for every car that they pass? If so, then u know why teh crazy.
And of course also they'd believe that you're a "slow driver" if you aren't illegally tailgating.
You can save a lot of money on fuel driving this way. I probably save 15-20% on fuel costs conserving my brakes. I probably save a lot on long term maintenance costs too, although I have no hard numbers to back that up.
> hard time not believing that cars behind him are all fu...
@mountainmafia99 Why should I go slower? It makes no sense. I'm maintaining a gap while going the same speed as the car ahead. It takes only a moment to create the gap.
Do some people actually believe tailgating gets you there faster, and non-tailgaters are "slow?" Probably.
Now if I actually went 5MPH slower, then after 10min my forward gap would grow to 4400ft. 5MPH is 7.33fps, X 10min X 60.
@mountainmafia99 I guess people really are this stupid. I always wondered how accidents happen on perfect, sunshine days. It's because of retards like this who don't understand that driving 50 mph with 10 car length cushion is safer than driving 50 mph with 10 inches of cushion.
Something I see a lot is that semi-drivers will do this in multiple lanes. Although it happens more so in a merging lane, so cars can't take the soon-to-be-closing lane to try and zoom ahead.
They'll just drive at the same speed alongside each other and then let the one in the closing lane merge because they don't know if the person behind them will let them merge.
I learned this in the very early 90's many years before I could drive. My dad would make a 2 hour commute each way to work. He called this pacing technique "driving like a commuter." Now that I encounter highway traffic, I've noticed that people behind me in situations like these also appreciate my steady pace. It definitely extends the life of my brakes and clutch. Come to think of it, maybe my dad took his queues early on from semi-trucks.
I don't agree with your wording. You shouldn't call them 'Cheaters,' you should call them 'Late Mergers.' Late Mergers are using the freeway as designed by using all the lanes available on the freeway. People who merge early aren't using all the lanes of the freeway which is another reason why you're seeing a traffic jam; everyone is trying to get out of a certain lane and get in the same lane.
OK, here's the problem with all of this. I drive basically that same route every day except a lot longer portion. I mostly agree with your whole approach on traffic and I usually keep a very large following distance. The issue is that often there will be jams on one side of the road and not on the other in Seattle, because my commute is long these delays compound and actually make a significant difference in my commute. By being very efficient at avoiding these, I actually save a lot of time.
I've thought about cars moving after a red light turns green. Seems like there should be no wait. Think about pulling a chain...the links represent cars...all links move at once. Same thing with a train.
@wbeaty G'day... Hi Bob, thanks for sending this... Great Stuff. I used to try slowing so far away from a Redlight's Jam that by the time I arrived, it had begun to move...; so I didn't have to stop, at all. (Crash 1st Gear). Maybe 4 times out of 5, it worked, too ! Um, wbeaty, for y'r reward, search 'SunFoil Science'. Open Source, the Construction Clips are up ; DIY... Retrofit with a Streamlined Solar Panel, & save Fuel !
@magna59 LOL. The economy problem looks identical to traffic: if a *FEW* criminals and cheaters exist, then a few victims get ripped off. But if laws are changed so that every single banker can cheat the system wo/punishment, then the entire system is clogged and grinds to a halt. Traffic solution: certain behaviors banned, police remove assholes to prison, the rest of the system runs at high speed like greased gears.
I also found out that after driving a quick car with big powerful brakes and stiff suspension like mine (03wrx with heavy mods), which makes it easy to change lanes and adjust my position, when I go back to a normally powered car, (06 tsx bone stock) I find it stressing to change lanes, or do anything while I drive.
I then realized that maybe that's another problem with traffic jams. Cars that don't inspire much confidence which make drivers make bad decisions, or simply fuck up.
I also experimented with this: the meter lights at ramps are effective, but I found out a way of disrupting their function. I have a car that can accelerate very quickly. What I would do, is wait my turn at the meter and then accelerate and catch up with the previous car. Often, having two cars together like that caused a brake wave behind me (I don't do this often, I just did it a few times to investigate.)
A few years back, someone at the Hawaii State Department of Transportation talked in an interview about driving like a "grasshopper" versus driving like an "ant" and encouraged drivers to be more like grasshoppers because it makes better use of the lanes whereas ant-style driving can back up traffic for blocks. He also pointed out that this works best if each driver lets one car in when it's necessary to merge.
@ThinkFirst03 Yeah, my stuff only works on highways. Down inside the grid of city/town, it's best to drive aggressive. Aggressive driving lubricates the city grid, while it clogs and halts the highway system. "Polite" driving lubricates the highway system, but it clogs and halts the city grid traffic.
Our big error is to not change normally beneficial aggressive behavior when we enter the highway.
@cpxpanther13 gaze at the world. Then give it a poke in just the right spot. But it doesn't always work. Here's my list of Memes released so far: bit.ly / iT0YWA Some have spread further than others. Any of those look familiar?
This is terrific. I saw it a couple of years ago and then forgot all about the lessons of the video. I have a long commute, and have started to drive less aggressively, and it has a huge effect on my mood, if nothing else. I hope it helps the traffic situation ahead too.
@ericplloyd No, this apparently is a well-known truckers trick. By encouraging merges, you can get the traffic ahead of you to speed up. Only usually the exit lane is on the right. The left exit-only lane confuses people.
@bmjohnsn Weird, my apologies then. Here in Jersey solid lines are not to be crossed, except for crosswalks...of course that doesn't mean people don't do it.
Try this at the SB I-5 to SB CA-55 ramp. If I-5 is not slowed to a crawl, it works like a charm! Another place to try is the EB CA-22 ramp to CA-57 and I-5 but I recently moved before getting a chance to try that congested ramp on my daily commute.
Maybe we should make a database of locations around the world where this might work.. ?
If everyone could understand this concept, there would be FAR fewer traffic Jams. I completely agree with everything you say in this video, and I too used to be a "type A". It took a certain level of driving experience and intelligence to understand how the flow of traffic works. Unfortunately most drivers are too ignorant and stubborn to understand this concept.
@NoNinjaNo Yeah, I remember my three big idiocies:
1. Thinking that passing other cars will shave minutes off my trip. (No, to save minutes I must pass HUNDREDS of cars.)
2. Thinking that the closer we all tailgate, the faster we'll get there. No, tailgating closer than 40ft causes slow going as well as stop-go driving.
3. Thinking that empty spaces are major setbacks. No, speed is way more important than my place in line. Empty spaces; they speed the flow FAR more than they set you back.
I actually broke up a lane-closure jam at a construction zone using this! It's not 100% -- miles of congestion with multiple lane merges become smoother but there is some stopping. I've now made it a challenge to never have to actually stop during creeping traffic.It's less stressful as well.
I think this video "Traffic Waves" is right-on. If everyone drove this way there would be little or no more traffic. I had submitted this theory to Mythbusters and LA Traffic. Someone posted this video as an example and you are just one driver practicing it. Imagine if all NEW drivers were taught they HAD to drive this way!
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NO! The truth is that everyone behind you is just skipping over you and YOU are actually the one CREATING the traffic jam by not keeping up with traffic and maintaining the slow speed of traffic. The person who was ahead of you when the traffic jam started is now miles and miles ahead of you and going much faster because he drove with traffic and provided the speed off traffic to also speed up. Every car in your video was behind you, got frustrated and in turn just passed you.
@ladiessteveo Heh, no. Unfortunately I don't have a camera pointed backwards to show that nobody bothers getting out of line. (It does happen, but only a couple of times a week.)
Those merging drivers were all drifting along while trying to find any gap. It happens every day at this spot. I do the same thing myself if I can't get over to the left in time. This backup is caused by the people blocking all merges, plus the ones down near the exit forcing their way in.
I have been driving like this more over the past few months. I'd rath er do like you do; drive continuously at 5-10mph and break up shockwave jams than deal with stop and go. I average 4-5 stops instead of the 15-20 that most drivers get themselves in. I've tried to explain how SIMPLE this is to people, but many just don't get it.
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BS!!!! you r driving like my grandpa!!!! you cannot drive under 40 miles an hour on highway!!! that's illegal, besidaes, from my point of view traffic in highway is like tetris! it works for me, you just have to have common sense and not driving like a rocket!
@marcosarg1 Better watch it again. I'm going at the same speed as the person ahead of me. Everyone in this jam is going slow. Why? Because down at the actual exit itself, people are fighting. The drivers in this exit lane think they can block anyone from merging. They pack together tightly. But occasionally someone forces their way in. Go look at 0:02 footage which shows the exit itself, and a big truck forcing a merge.
This reminds me of how my friend told me that braking is the number one cause for traffic waves. Therefore I did this naturally by trying to avoid braking and I noticed the effects also. This video is an excellent explanation for what's happening
We might think that everyone besides us on the road is an aggressive idiot. Nope, that's just our usual "Self-Serving Bias." Everyone slower than me is a clueless idiot, and everyone faster than me is a dangerous lunatic. (That's just the false attitude we all maintain for sanity.)
Instead if we give people an opportunity to demonstrate their humanity, we find that only a quite small percentage is actually dangerous and stupid.
You are an incredible person, and I really wish everyone would use common sense while driving like you do. There is a strange effect that happens whenever a human enters an automobile, which causes them to immediately become thoughtless and selfish animals. It doesn't work that way! If everyone would just relax, traffic would never be a problem.
Because you are creating traffic behind you. If a certain "cheater" decides to exit your lane to go in front of you. That is the ideal moment when a accident may occur. You have to keep in mind that not everyone respects the signal lights nor do they use them. So as you do this, everytime when you see someone exit your lane in your rearview mirror is a potential accident, meaning you're putting their lives at risk for an extra second? yes, they are idiots
@PR3S5UR3 It seems you've failed to comprehend the entire point of the video, or at the very least ignored the commentary. Look at the speed of the other cars traveling in his lane -- he's simply keeping pace with them at a distance instead of tailgating. By leaving that opening it allows other cars that need to merge into his lane to do so early, instead of forcing their way in at the last moment. The end result is that instead of traffic grinding to a halt it moves much more smoothly.
@CaptainLongNeck -- I understood that perfectly but by purposely slowing down and "keeping pace" which in fact he's keeping distance to allow others to go in front of him. The other lanes will tend to drive at a slightly greater up to significant speed. When a driver realizes that there's "10 car space" distance in front of wbeaty, he will want to exit that lane only to come back in again. This is why I say it creates the perfect condition for an accident hence a bigger jam.
I'm not driving slow. If I didn't "keep pace" with the car ahead of me, I'd smash into him. That's what always happens if you drive faster than the car ahead of you.
:)
But also, aggressive drivers are responsible for their own dangerous actions. They'll cause accidents by tailgating. They'll cause accidents by sudden merging. They'll cause accidents by insane manouvers while trying to "get one car ahead" in the "race."
(purposely slowing down and "keeping pace" which in fact he's keeping distance to allow others to go in front of him)
True, aggressive drivers are responsible for their own actions but giving them a reason to become aggressive is no better. I know this is a bit of a stretch but plz spend your energy in encouraging safe and respectful driving instead of showing through youtube how to become a traffic zen warrior cuz things will go wrong as people are naturally idiots
> but giving them a reason to become aggressive is no better
@PR3S5UR3 You're not listening. You're SUPPOSED to drive with a large gap. Closing up gaps is illegal, it's called "tailgating."
Basically, whenever nobody can merge ahead of you on the highway, you're being an unsafe driver who endangers everyone around you.
Does everybody else tailgate? Well, that doesn't magically make tailgating legal, nor does it make it safe. Leave a 3sec safety gap at 30MPH, that's 130ft spacing.
@wbeaty -- I am reading, Drivers are supposed to leave a gap for their own deceleration and not to invite the whole world in.
Tailgating is by definition when an individual drives closer than the margin of error allows. Because you're in a COMPLETE STOP 2 feet behind of the driver in front of you, you're not tailgating but because you are purposely driving slower in order to avoid a halt, you are borderline illegal.for slow driving in the highway just because you are purposely doing it.
> I am reading, Drivers are supposed to leave a gap for their own deceleration and not to invite the whole world in.
@PR3S5UR3 Wrong. Drivers are supposed to leave a safety gap. Period.
If you close your gap in order to block merging drivers, that's "aggressive driving" and police can take action if they catch you at it. Yes, it's also tailgating.
> but because you are purposely driving slower...
Lol. The car ahead is going about 40MPH. So am I. That's called "not going slower."
@PR3S5UR3 -- Unfortunately, I have a 500 character limit to explain my point so I hope not only you but all on-readers understand this so I won't have to make a video explaining why. As I do have more important things to do...
If you want to help traffic to run smoothly, pay attention on the road, respect the speed limit, don't drive a car that is about to break in the highway and respect the other drivers even if they are idiots.
Notice that in this video, everyone in this congested left lane is illegally tailgating and blocking merges.
Drivers are supposed to maintain large safety gaps. 2sec at 40MPH is 117ft gap, and that's the smallest allowed.
Similar situation below...
Truckers should never form large braking-distance gaps? After all, whenever an aggressive driver zooms into their gap and crashes into the next vehicle ahead, IT'S THE TRUCKER'S FAULT?
@wbeaty -- but you're not a trucker. That's the thing, you are purposely driving at a slower rate than you are supposed to. A trucker has to maintain distance for braking, you don't. To encourage a respectful driving attitude is far better than forcing anyone to drive at your pace. People tend to resist and will exit that lane. So if an accident happens behind you, are you going to feel responsible for it because ultimately, the one who exited that lane and crashed will point fingers at you.
@PR3S5UR3 Don't be stupid. I'M NOT DRIVING SLOW. I go at the speed of the car ahead.
This exit lane is congested. It was just as congested before I arrived. If I bring in a large space, it does move the entire jam backwards.
However there is a danger here: if I only bring in a small gap, then speeding drivers in the empty right lane may be tempted to jam on the brakes and skid. For safety, a significant "deceleration space" is required.
Scientists studying ants found that they manage internal traffic of their nests by leaving gaps between themselves and moving at a constant speed, rather than getting all hunched up and not being able to move. Just need to think like a team not competitors.
the jam is caused by people wanting to merge at the very very last second - they want to go fast in the other lane so they essentially skip the queue hoping that they can push their way in. this is the first component. the second component is that people don't like those who skip the queue. it's like you've been waiting and going real slow and here's this punk who drives fast to the front of the queue and wants to merge at the last second. there are two components to the problem.
My father doesn't, I get all stressed when being a passenger in his car and he freaks out at losing ten seconds when I try to maintain a speed close to my avg.. :P
this is why you will see trucks hold off a lane with construction ahead. people don't know how to merge. the physical act of merging is easy but it's the fact that no one wants to let anyone in front of them.
@Bryanhoop1 I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to cross a solid white line, at least not in my state. That looks like a HOV lane, in which case you can only go into it and out of it through the designated sections. Otherwise it's a moving violation with some pretty steep fines.
I love your strategy and I do the same, but here is your freaking problem. Don't do that in the fast lane. That's it. I let people who are in a hurry cut in and out and it's super annoying when someone does that in the fast lane. If I'm speeding somewhere they unfortunately will get cutt off if it's way too bad.
I just get fewer hours of sleep each night so I can leave extra early for my morning commute (less traffic), then workout in evening or see a movie to wait for traffic to die down on my way home.
Because stress from idiotic drivers in traffic will kill me before sleep deprivation does.
I started doing this a couple years ago when I noticed truckers do it all the time, so I tried it myself. I saved a ton of gas by avoiding the stop and go, and I could tell the cars behind me appreciated the smooth pace (except the Audie drivers that felt like riding my ass all the way).
It's not a race, and leaving a gap in front of you doesn't mean you're going slow, it just means you're ahead of the curve in understanding how traffic works.
i've done this my whole driving life i would totally be ok with cars speed being electronically controled its so pointless to zig zag and endanger peoples lives your just gonna find a red light eventually
I've actually done the same thing many times and in that same spot many times. I love North of Seattle and have to commute back and forth to the airport often.
This is a common misconception. You aren't "solving" any traffic problem, because the many people behind you are doing the stop and go thing just as much as they are in front of you. If people are arriving at your jam at high speed, it doesn't matter how "uniform" you think you are driving, he has to hit his breaks while approaching you anyways, as does the person behind him. If there was a LONG break behind you this would work, but then it wouldn't be a jam anyways. Nice try though.
@MrRiggyRiggs why not instead drive like a professional commuter?
"Race Car Driver" is something that most people eventually outgrow. Then at last they can start to figure out which techniques work and which do not. (But it took me years to outgrow. I'm still embarrassed about it. Jeeze was I immature. Like an idiot twelve year old, trying to "win" a race which doesn't exist.)
@wbeaty Fellow Chicago driver here, I can confirm this.
Chicago drivers may not be the most aggressive, but we are up there. If you leave more than 1 car length between you and the car ahead, people will jump in. This will cause you to slow down to make room for them, which will create what you are trying to avoid.
Seattle is well known for non-aggressive driving, so this would probably work where you are, but not in Chicago.
Ive actually kinda noticed this before. When there is traffic i just drive slow to where i dont hit my breaks very often. If nothing else, it is less boring than just sitting there not driving
@wbeaty Another cool concept I've thought of and you might have pondered as well is that in traffic, barring lights, accidents, lane reductions, and other things, the only real reason why those commutes take so long and stop and go occurs is because of human reaction time. Take the average of .25 seconds and multiply it on down the line. If somehow, every car or driver in a lane in a very long line of traffic could instantaneously start at the same time, people could get places much faster!
at their destination much faster. In all reality it doesn't increase the speed, just prevents the stop and go's. Still, very cool though. And in most traffic jams if you pay close enough attention you can get a feel for what "avg speed" to drive at so that you arrive just as the cars ahead of you begin to move. The speed seems to stay fairly constant as long as drivers are paying attention.
Very kool! I always do this too because up in NOVA specifically I66, there is extreme traffic at certain times of the day although I never thought about it to this depth. It is cool t o think you are singlehandedly preventing an entire row of cars from having to suffer the "stop and go". But at the same time, drivers in other lanes see your lane further back and think of it as "the good lane" and try to get into the lane because for some reason they think it will allow them to arrive
intelligents in America..... No way. So, by driving, actually driving, you get there faster....
Zen for me is not driving... But I do use the same kind of thinkng on my bicycle... I kinda laugh at all the people who have to pass the bicycle, because he goes only 20mph... But at almost every redlight I coast up to them.. But if I get my speed right I'll ride a green wave.
@JerseyJersey100 Yes, I need two cameras, with one pointed backwards so you can see that there is no "battle."
Why would a battle exist? After all, I'm driving at the same speed as the car ahead of me, and I'm driving very smoothly.
Also, anyone in this long column of cars can easily leave the line. If they do, they can make a large gain. Why do they sit in a huge slow line? And if they left, why would they merge right back in, which only gets them one car ahead? They're not stupid
as a dedicated "cheater" i can tell you that i am not at all thinking malevolently towards the "wall of cars." To the contrary, they are operating at peak efficiency and i commend that. i, on the other hand, am busy calculating my "cheat" so as not to crash into anyone.
@stpslim Didn't actually listen to the video? Those fast drivers are causing the jam (go watch the first few seconds of the vid. It shows the far end, where they force their way in.)
They cause the jam because nobody will let them in. Their only option is to go down to the far end.
Also, notice that I'm driving at the same speed as the car ahead? By letting ten cars merge, my commute grows from 40min, to 40min 10sec.
But if the jam dissolves, I might gain an entire minute or two.
@stpslim Wow pay attention to the lane that he is in, not the lanes next to him. He is driving the same speed either way, except if he does as you suggest, he would only be slightly closer to the car in front of him, with no change in speed whatsoever. It just baffles me that some people (or most people, actually) think that being closer to the car in front of them means that they are driving faster.
Truckers often moderate the average speed of traffic as you have described here. Starting and stopping is even more annoying in a tractor-trailer, so many of them have figured out how NOT to.
As a WSDOT employee I very much appreciate this video and how well it has been received. The state has spent a great deal of money on active traffic management systems (ATMs) for essentially the same thing - speed harmonization. Like you have explained the concept is simple, reduce the speed and increase the capacity of the roadway during rush hours. And being courteous goes a long way.
@engr100win10 Need television spots & newspaper ads which explain the purpose! Shame all the many lane-blockers. And justify the sane drivers' years of ridicule.
People love this video and associated website trafficwaves org. But I don't link to wsdot. I've found zero online articles. Go write one?
Notice that this vid shows I-5 which now has ATM. I should do another vid: ride the same stretch with wsdot engineers. Let the pros explain the features & their effects in person.
@cdodsonrun Oh definitely. It took me awhile to figure it out. Think: how do we respond to cheaters who rush along the shoulder to get ahead of everyone else? Should we fear them, and back off to give them room? And what about the ones who do 95MPH in a 65 zone? Well, those drivers who get angry if you maintain buffer space, THEY'RE THE SAME. They're beneath contempt. Don't fear their opinion. Instead cultivate your disgust. (& someday you can release disgust and go zen)
I have been breaking up traffic jams for years. I have seen others doing it, but never heard someone talk about it. It's also great for people who don't have ac. You can keep the car moving and air flowing.
Nice thought, but there is no basis for your theory, as we all have seen, the one's that have the drive to get there first. Ever drive in Detroit ? LoL
@Auggie56 read the faq? Check out the section "THIS IS ALL FINE IN THEORY." Nope, this isn't based on any theory. I'm describing what actually happens during daily commutes.
I think you are causing traffic jams behind you. Drivers doesn't drive uniform, when you slow down the car behind you will slow down slightly more because of a little thing called reaction time, maximum is 200 milliseconds, so when you hit the breaks he hit the breaks at least 200 milliseconds after you did, which means every other car behind you will break harder and harder causing a traffic jam.
@fuunguus Um. Why should I slow down? That daily jammed lane is already full of stop/go waves before I arrive. So I just drive smooth. If a big space opens up, I DON'T RUSH FORWARD TO FILL IT. This forces everyone behind me to drive at a constant speed, not rushing forward and then all slowing down.
"All I wanna do is to thank you (even though I don't know who you are). You who let me change lanes when I was driving in my car."
Laramas 1 week ago
On my average commute sometimes I'll find this one same driver that would be in the lane next to the exit lane, carefully get to the edge of the white dotted line farther away from the exit lane, turn on his turn signal, and then near the dotted lane near the exit lane. If he starts the lane change regardless of whether they give him space, theyre scared as s**t. It looks as if he started the lane change when he gets to the edge and fakes it. He always gets room.
mysterytrey 1 week ago
I take exception with the "cheaters" term. Both lanes should be utilized and at the same time all cars should leave 5 car lengths of space behind the next car. That way there is plenty of room for cars to merge without breaking and who cares if one more car get's in? I let everyone in. You can either increase someone else's stress or you can decrease it, it's up to you alone.
VikefanTony 1 month ago
@VikefanTony But "late mergers" pace the cars in the other lane while signaling to merge. Sometimes/usually the full lane lets them in.
The Cheaters on the other hand use the empty lane to race down to the far end. That gives a big "ha ha screw you" to the cars in the other lane, who try to block them.
But if lots of late mergers get a "zipper" going, then both lanes fill up. There's no empty lane, no cheaters. The jam drains off.
Early merging ...CAUSES cheating? Seems so.
wbeaty 1 month ago
Also-all the "idiot drivers" pretty much disappeared. I guess I was the idiot.
VikefanTony 1 month ago
I do not go to the extreme that this driver does, but I always, always always leave at least 5 car lengths in front of me. I'm not breaking the wave like he is but I'm breaking less and having much less stress on my drive. One day on the way to work in about 1992 I got sick of fighting the left lane constantly, getting pissed off at drivers who didn't merge right for me quick enough and decided to just drive in the right lane and let people in. I didn't lose any time at all.
VikefanTony 1 month ago
Hahaha, I live in Seattle as well, and I do this exact same thing to try to break up traffic jams.
Good for you! This actually does work.
MaistlinRaj 1 month ago
I don't think this works in LA. Too many asshole drivers
imskilled94 1 month ago
@imskilled94 Works fine in LA.
In fact, I've seen complaints from LA people that driving has recently changed: too many people are leaving huge empty spaces! They thought it must be caused by cellphone texting. Heh.
wbeaty 1 month ago
Smart man.
idusclothing 1 month ago
I have to disagree about 'cheaters'. It is better that the cars on the road use ALL of the available road space. So if lanes merge, for example, then you should go all the way down the outside until you have to merge. However, what you are saying about people who don't let others in IS true. Those on the inside should let those on the outside in, for sure, because they aren't 'cheaters'
Will762 1 month ago
This is wrong... You are causing jams behind you. Next...
thesh0ck 1 month ago
@thesh0ck You are not listening to him. Just slow the F down! Everybody drives too fast these days. Be courteous and let the drivers in. You are not gaining hardly any time by squeezing your car up against the car in front of you.
thearbitre 1 month ago in playlist More videos from wbeaty
@thearbitre Don't even need to drive slow. Just maintain a fixed gap. Doesn't matter whether your gap is one foot or one hundred. Your own speed doesn't change.
But pushing ahead and tailgating like a maniac FEELS FAST. It isn't. After all, to shave only 5min off of a half-hour commute, you'd have to pass 200-300 other cars.
He needs to do like trucker mudflaps say: BACK OFF. Backing off isn't slow driving, it's just non-tailgating.
wbeaty 1 month ago
@wbeaty Didn't mean to imply driving slow was the solution. Everything you said is exactly the same conclusions I have come up with. What I meant was just as you said...Back off. There is no need to be right on the bumper of the car in front of you.
thearbitre 1 month ago
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VikefanTony 1 month ago
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VikefanTony 1 month ago
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VikefanTony 1 month ago
@thesh0ck No, you are a moron. Next.
VikefanTony 1 month ago
Why don't you turn the camera around to see what kind of traffic you are causing. You are also causing road rage by leaving huge gaps ahead of you. Drivers behind you will see that and try to merge right, then cut you off. You have no effect on traffic, you may be calm but you're also pissing everybody on the road off.
SoCaLStylZ88 1 month ago
Why don't you turn the camera around to see what kind of traffic
@SoCaLStylZ88 Yeah, I need two cams and a splitscreen to show that traffic behind me is perfectly smooth. But then, why wouldn't it be? If I drive at a set speed, then nobody behind me has any reason to go differently. (Also, a rear cam would show that nobody is leaving my lane and rushing down to the end. Those fast vehicles to my right are all just stuck in the wrong lane and looking for a way to merge.)
wbeaty 1 month ago
@wbeaty I assume you're lucky then, or just don't have to deal with NY drivers. Here on Long Island I see it every morning, there is always 2 or 3 people that leave big gaps, which leads to 10 cars tail gating each other and gunning it as soon as the middle lane clears. Even though those cars gunning it don't really make progress, it still creates a dangerous situation of road rage, and I believe road rage is contagious.
SoCaLStylZ88 1 month ago
@SoCaLStylZ88 He's only pissing off the crazy ones. Anyone with half a brain realizes what he is doing is smart and efficient.
VikefanTony 1 month ago
@VikefanTony pissing crazy drivers off leads to road rage which is contagious, creating accidents.
SoCaLStylZ88 1 month ago
This isn't common sense? What is wrong with everyone...
NicoleBGarcia 1 month ago
> This isn't common sense? What is wrong with everyone...
@NicoleBGarcia Suppose that most people actually believe tailgating can speed you up? Or they believe that they'll gain ten minutes for every car that they pass? If so, then u know why teh crazy.
And of course also they'd believe that you're a "slow driver" if you aren't illegally tailgating.
wbeaty 1 month ago
AGREED, traffic jams are just being caused by greedy people
starwarsmattyboy 1 month ago
You can save a lot of money on fuel driving this way. I probably save 15-20% on fuel costs conserving my brakes. I probably save a lot on long term maintenance costs too, although I have no hard numbers to back that up.
CommitToFocus 1 month ago
i have a hard time not believing that the cars behind him are all fuckered up from him going slower like this
mountainmafia99 1 month ago
> hard time not believing that cars behind him are all fu...
@mountainmafia99 Why should I go slower? It makes no sense. I'm maintaining a gap while going the same speed as the car ahead. It takes only a moment to create the gap.
Do some people actually believe tailgating gets you there faster, and non-tailgaters are "slow?" Probably.
Now if I actually went 5MPH slower, then after 10min my forward gap would grow to 4400ft. 5MPH is 7.33fps, X 10min X 60.
wbeaty 1 month ago
@mountainmafia99 I guess people really are this stupid. I always wondered how accidents happen on perfect, sunshine days. It's because of retards like this who don't understand that driving 50 mph with 10 car length cushion is safer than driving 50 mph with 10 inches of cushion.
VikefanTony 1 month ago
Something I see a lot is that semi-drivers will do this in multiple lanes. Although it happens more so in a merging lane, so cars can't take the soon-to-be-closing lane to try and zoom ahead.
They'll just drive at the same speed alongside each other and then let the one in the closing lane merge because they don't know if the person behind them will let them merge.
Way cool.
elfside 1 month ago
I learned this in the very early 90's many years before I could drive. My dad would make a 2 hour commute each way to work. He called this pacing technique "driving like a commuter." Now that I encounter highway traffic, I've noticed that people behind me in situations like these also appreciate my steady pace. It definitely extends the life of my brakes and clutch. Come to think of it, maybe my dad took his queues early on from semi-trucks.
madhatt3r111 1 month ago
I don't agree with your wording. You shouldn't call them 'Cheaters,' you should call them 'Late Mergers.' Late Mergers are using the freeway as designed by using all the lanes available on the freeway. People who merge early aren't using all the lanes of the freeway which is another reason why you're seeing a traffic jam; everyone is trying to get out of a certain lane and get in the same lane.
JaredTheTwitch 1 month ago
OK, here's the problem with all of this. I drive basically that same route every day except a lot longer portion. I mostly agree with your whole approach on traffic and I usually keep a very large following distance. The issue is that often there will be jams on one side of the road and not on the other in Seattle, because my commute is long these delays compound and actually make a significant difference in my commute. By being very efficient at avoiding these, I actually save a lot of time.
dakotapollard 1 month ago
I've thought about cars moving after a red light turns green. Seems like there should be no wait. Think about pulling a chain...the links represent cars...all links move at once. Same thing with a train.
frank44145 1 month ago
Bad idea. That means there'd be no space between the cars, and because of human reaction time being limited, there would be so many accidents.
jspilliod 1 month ago
@magna59
@wbeaty G'day... Hi Bob, thanks for sending this... Great Stuff. I used to try slowing so far away from a Redlight's Jam that by the time I arrived, it had begun to move...; so I didn't have to stop, at all. (Crash 1st Gear). Maybe 4 times out of 5, it worked, too ! Um, wbeaty, for y'r reward, search 'SunFoil Science'. Open Source, the Construction Clips are up ; DIY... Retrofit with a Streamlined Solar Panel, & save Fuel !
WarblesOnALot 2 months ago
Traffic solved ..... do you think you can have a go at the banking industry next ?
magna59 2 months ago 25
> have a go at the banking industry next
@magna59 LOL. The economy problem looks identical to traffic: if a *FEW* criminals and cheaters exist, then a few victims get ripped off. But if laws are changed so that every single banker can cheat the system wo/punishment, then the entire system is clogged and grinds to a halt. Traffic solution: certain behaviors banned, police remove assholes to prison, the rest of the system runs at high speed like greased gears.
wbeaty 1 month ago 2
I also found out that after driving a quick car with big powerful brakes and stiff suspension like mine (03wrx with heavy mods), which makes it easy to change lanes and adjust my position, when I go back to a normally powered car, (06 tsx bone stock) I find it stressing to change lanes, or do anything while I drive.
I then realized that maybe that's another problem with traffic jams. Cars that don't inspire much confidence which make drivers make bad decisions, or simply fuck up.
Riggro 2 months ago
I also experimented with this: the meter lights at ramps are effective, but I found out a way of disrupting their function. I have a car that can accelerate very quickly. What I would do, is wait my turn at the meter and then accelerate and catch up with the previous car. Often, having two cars together like that caused a brake wave behind me (I don't do this often, I just did it a few times to investigate.)
Riggro 2 months ago
I thought I was the only one that "knew" this. So it seems like I was not crazy.
Riggro 2 months ago
A few years back, someone at the Hawaii State Department of Transportation talked in an interview about driving like a "grasshopper" versus driving like an "ant" and encouraged drivers to be more like grasshoppers because it makes better use of the lanes whereas ant-style driving can back up traffic for blocks. He also pointed out that this works best if each driver lets one car in when it's necessary to merge.
ThinkFirst03 2 months ago
@ThinkFirst03 Yeah, my stuff only works on highways. Down inside the grid of city/town, it's best to drive aggressive. Aggressive driving lubricates the city grid, while it clogs and halts the highway system. "Polite" driving lubricates the highway system, but it clogs and halts the city grid traffic.
Our big error is to not change normally beneficial aggressive behavior when we enter the highway.
wbeaty 1 month ago 3
man... your changing the world!
cpxpanther13 2 months ago
@cpxpanther13 gaze at the world. Then give it a poke in just the right spot. But it doesn't always work. Here's my list of Memes released so far: bit.ly / iT0YWA Some have spread further than others. Any of those look familiar?
wbeaty 2 months ago
This is terrific. I saw it a couple of years ago and then forgot all about the lessons of the video. I have a long commute, and have started to drive less aggressively, and it has a huge effect on my mood, if nothing else. I hope it helps the traffic situation ahead too.
fhoov59 3 months ago
Very very smart man.
DEBRACRANFORD 3 months ago
Good post of Seattle traffic
IslandLiving808 3 months ago
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PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GIVE THIS PRESENTATION AT A
TED
CONFERENCE!
gerredmano 3 months ago
By looking at the video, I estimate that your commute is 37,000,000,000,000 seconds longer due to your "strategy".
ericplloyd 4 months ago
@ericplloyd No, this apparently is a well-known truckers trick. By encouraging merges, you can get the traffic ahead of you to speed up. Only usually the exit lane is on the right. The left exit-only lane confuses people.
wbeaty 4 months ago 4
01:28 crossing over a solid white line...tsk tsk
NELHAOTEC 4 months ago
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bmjohnsn 4 months ago
@NELHAOTEC Crossing a solid white line is legal in Washingon, crossing a double white line is illegal.
bmjohnsn 4 months ago
@bmjohnsn Weird, my apologies then. Here in Jersey solid lines are not to be crossed, except for crosswalks...of course that doesn't mean people don't do it.
NELHAOTEC 4 months ago
In Southern California:
Try this at the SB I-5 to SB CA-55 ramp. If I-5 is not slowed to a crawl, it works like a charm! Another place to try is the EB CA-22 ramp to CA-57 and I-5 but I recently moved before getting a chance to try that congested ramp on my daily commute.
Maybe we should make a database of locations around the world where this might work.. ?
jejd2 4 months ago
As a driver you can be one of the vast hoard of mindless Sheep.
Or you can polish your skills and become a Wolf, speeding through the grid, cutting people off, gaining bits of headway.
Or...
you can become a shepherd.
wbeaty 4 months ago 43
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@wbeaty Very insightful comment! Thank you
MrWineDrinker 2 months ago
If everyone could understand this concept, there would be FAR fewer traffic Jams. I completely agree with everything you say in this video, and I too used to be a "type A". It took a certain level of driving experience and intelligence to understand how the flow of traffic works. Unfortunately most drivers are too ignorant and stubborn to understand this concept.
NoNinjaNo 4 months ago 3
@NoNinjaNo Yeah, I remember my three big idiocies:
1. Thinking that passing other cars will shave minutes off my trip. (No, to save minutes I must pass HUNDREDS of cars.)
2. Thinking that the closer we all tailgate, the faster we'll get there. No, tailgating closer than 40ft causes slow going as well as stop-go driving.
3. Thinking that empty spaces are major setbacks. No, speed is way more important than my place in line. Empty spaces; they speed the flow FAR more than they set you back.
wbeaty 4 months ago 7
I'm gonna try to try this, I swear ! Btw, interesting accent there, sounds like some heavy Canadian influence in practice
LikKitgo0d 5 months ago
I actually broke up a lane-closure jam at a construction zone using this! It's not 100% -- miles of congestion with multiple lane merges become smoother but there is some stopping. I've now made it a challenge to never have to actually stop during creeping traffic.It's less stressful as well.
ubermom 5 months ago
I think this video "Traffic Waves" is right-on. If everyone drove this way there would be little or no more traffic. I had submitted this theory to Mythbusters and LA Traffic. Someone posted this video as an example and you are just one driver practicing it. Imagine if all NEW drivers were taught they HAD to drive this way!
susie4play 5 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
NO! The truth is that everyone behind you is just skipping over you and YOU are actually the one CREATING the traffic jam by not keeping up with traffic and maintaining the slow speed of traffic. The person who was ahead of you when the traffic jam started is now miles and miles ahead of you and going much faster because he drove with traffic and provided the speed off traffic to also speed up. Every car in your video was behind you, got frustrated and in turn just passed you.
ladiessteveo 5 months ago
@ladiessteveo Heh, no. Unfortunately I don't have a camera pointed backwards to show that nobody bothers getting out of line. (It does happen, but only a couple of times a week.)
Those merging drivers were all drifting along while trying to find any gap. It happens every day at this spot. I do the same thing myself if I can't get over to the left in time. This backup is caused by the people blocking all merges, plus the ones down near the exit forcing their way in.
wbeaty 5 months ago 3
I've been doing this for over ten years. So many stupid people out there don't understand why. Glad to see someone else came up with this.
horn1palmer 5 months ago
I have been driving like this more over the past few months. I'd rath er do like you do; drive continuously at 5-10mph and break up shockwave jams than deal with stop and go. I average 4-5 stops instead of the 15-20 that most drivers get themselves in. I've tried to explain how SIMPLE this is to people, but many just don't get it.
millenniumdragn 5 months ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
BS!!!! you r driving like my grandpa!!!! you cannot drive under 40 miles an hour on highway!!! that's illegal, besidaes, from my point of view traffic in highway is like tetris! it works for me, you just have to have common sense and not driving like a rocket!
marcosarg1 5 months ago
> you cannot drive under 40 miles an hour on
@marcosarg1 Better watch it again. I'm going at the same speed as the person ahead of me. Everyone in this jam is going slow. Why? Because down at the actual exit itself, people are fighting. The drivers in this exit lane think they can block anyone from merging. They pack together tightly. But occasionally someone forces their way in. Go look at 0:02 footage which shows the exit itself, and a big truck forcing a merge.
wbeaty 5 months ago 5
Zen philosopher commuter. I like it.
coolbreeze922 5 months ago
Beautiful! You're a genius!
Erudecorp 6 months ago
Not only will this help with traffic jams, but it will also help with the gas mileage and the wear and tear on the transmission of your car.
freiheitj 6 months ago
This reminds me of how my friend told me that braking is the number one cause for traffic waves. Therefore I did this naturally by trying to avoid braking and I noticed the effects also. This video is an excellent explanation for what's happening
LWVids 6 months ago
no ones climbing in my hole :P
joc61 6 months ago
i bet this guy gets lots of tailgaters.
iHuglittlegirls 6 months ago
@iHuglittlegirls nope, just a couple times per week.
We might think that everyone besides us on the road is an aggressive idiot. Nope, that's just our usual "Self-Serving Bias." Everyone slower than me is a clueless idiot, and everyone faster than me is a dangerous lunatic. (That's just the false attitude we all maintain for sanity.)
Instead if we give people an opportunity to demonstrate their humanity, we find that only a quite small percentage is actually dangerous and stupid.
wbeaty 6 months ago 5
awesome. I would love to see a computer visuals on this.
TeQuiiLaSHoTZz 6 months ago
5 and 9 over and over
Gumminator 6 months ago
You are amazing
4j0sH4 6 months ago
Sounds like Ernie...
sethbaucum 6 months ago
You are an incredible person, and I really wish everyone would use common sense while driving like you do. There is a strange effect that happens whenever a human enters an automobile, which causes them to immediately become thoughtless and selfish animals. It doesn't work that way! If everyone would just relax, traffic would never be a problem.
andruble 6 months ago 2
Does everyone in North America/Canada drives automatics? or are people who like to drive manual?
standforthmysoul 6 months ago
@standforthmysoul they all only drive automatics
Execz357 6 months ago
Most important in this entire video: It's sunny in Seattle.
irregularbox 6 months ago
you a healer in wow? =p
MrZackeriess 6 months ago
this is dangerous driving you know. why?
Because you are creating traffic behind you. If a certain "cheater" decides to exit your lane to go in front of you. That is the ideal moment when a accident may occur. You have to keep in mind that not everyone respects the signal lights nor do they use them. So as you do this, everytime when you see someone exit your lane in your rearview mirror is a potential accident, meaning you're putting their lives at risk for an extra second? yes, they are idiots
PR3S5UR3 6 months ago
@PR3S5UR3 It seems you've failed to comprehend the entire point of the video, or at the very least ignored the commentary. Look at the speed of the other cars traveling in his lane -- he's simply keeping pace with them at a distance instead of tailgating. By leaving that opening it allows other cars that need to merge into his lane to do so early, instead of forcing their way in at the last moment. The end result is that instead of traffic grinding to a halt it moves much more smoothly.
CaptainLongNeck 6 months ago
@CaptainLongNeck -- I understood that perfectly but by purposely slowing down and "keeping pace" which in fact he's keeping distance to allow others to go in front of him. The other lanes will tend to drive at a slightly greater up to significant speed. When a driver realizes that there's "10 car space" distance in front of wbeaty, he will want to exit that lane only to come back in again. This is why I say it creates the perfect condition for an accident hence a bigger jam.
PR3S5UR3 6 months ago
> purposely slowing down and "keeping pace"
@PR3S5UR3 um. What?
I'm not driving slow. If I didn't "keep pace" with the car ahead of me, I'd smash into him. That's what always happens if you drive faster than the car ahead of you.
:)
But also, aggressive drivers are responsible for their own dangerous actions. They'll cause accidents by tailgating. They'll cause accidents by sudden merging. They'll cause accidents by insane manouvers while trying to "get one car ahead" in the "race."
wbeaty 6 months ago
@wbeaty -- plz read in full
(purposely slowing down and "keeping pace" which in fact he's keeping distance to allow others to go in front of him)
True, aggressive drivers are responsible for their own actions but giving them a reason to become aggressive is no better. I know this is a bit of a stretch but plz spend your energy in encouraging safe and respectful driving instead of showing through youtube how to become a traffic zen warrior cuz things will go wrong as people are naturally idiots
PR3S5UR3 6 months ago
> but giving them a reason to become aggressive is no better
@PR3S5UR3 You're not listening. You're SUPPOSED to drive with a large gap. Closing up gaps is illegal, it's called "tailgating."
Basically, whenever nobody can merge ahead of you on the highway, you're being an unsafe driver who endangers everyone around you.
Does everybody else tailgate? Well, that doesn't magically make tailgating legal, nor does it make it safe. Leave a 3sec safety gap at 30MPH, that's 130ft spacing.
wbeaty 6 months ago
@wbeaty -- I am reading, Drivers are supposed to leave a gap for their own deceleration and not to invite the whole world in.
Tailgating is by definition when an individual drives closer than the margin of error allows. Because you're in a COMPLETE STOP 2 feet behind of the driver in front of you, you're not tailgating but because you are purposely driving slower in order to avoid a halt, you are borderline illegal.for slow driving in the highway just because you are purposely doing it.
PR3S5UR3 6 months ago
> I am reading, Drivers are supposed to leave a gap for their own deceleration and not to invite the whole world in.
@PR3S5UR3 Wrong. Drivers are supposed to leave a safety gap. Period.
If you close your gap in order to block merging drivers, that's "aggressive driving" and police can take action if they catch you at it. Yes, it's also tailgating.
> but because you are purposely driving slower...
Lol. The car ahead is going about 40MPH. So am I. That's called "not going slower."
wbeaty 6 months ago
@PR3S5UR3 -- Unfortunately, I have a 500 character limit to explain my point so I hope not only you but all on-readers understand this so I won't have to make a video explaining why. As I do have more important things to do...
If you want to help traffic to run smoothly, pay attention on the road, respect the speed limit, don't drive a car that is about to break in the highway and respect the other drivers even if they are idiots.
PR3S5UR3 6 months ago
@PR3S5UR3 I get your point.
Notice that in this video, everyone in this congested left lane is illegally tailgating and blocking merges.
Drivers are supposed to maintain large safety gaps. 2sec at 40MPH is 117ft gap, and that's the smallest allowed.
Similar situation below...
Truckers should never form large braking-distance gaps? After all, whenever an aggressive driver zooms into their gap and crashes into the next vehicle ahead, IT'S THE TRUCKER'S FAULT?
No, actually it isn't.
wbeaty 6 months ago
@wbeaty -- but you're not a trucker. That's the thing, you are purposely driving at a slower rate than you are supposed to. A trucker has to maintain distance for braking, you don't. To encourage a respectful driving attitude is far better than forcing anyone to drive at your pace. People tend to resist and will exit that lane. So if an accident happens behind you, are you going to feel responsible for it because ultimately, the one who exited that lane and crashed will point fingers at you.
PR3S5UR3 6 months ago
> Because you are creating traffic behind you.
@PR3S5UR3 Don't be stupid. I'M NOT DRIVING SLOW. I go at the speed of the car ahead.
This exit lane is congested. It was just as congested before I arrived. If I bring in a large space, it does move the entire jam backwards.
However there is a danger here: if I only bring in a small gap, then speeding drivers in the empty right lane may be tempted to jam on the brakes and skid. For safety, a significant "deceleration space" is required.
wbeaty 6 months ago
I came up with the first trick as a game on a long car trip once.
3rogue 6 months ago
I'm leaving 10 minutes early for work just to do this! :D
bloodstone1445 6 months ago
Scientists studying ants found that they manage internal traffic of their nests by leaving gaps between themselves and moving at a constant speed, rather than getting all hunched up and not being able to move. Just need to think like a team not competitors.
psyqwix 6 months ago
the jam is caused by people wanting to merge at the very very last second - they want to go fast in the other lane so they essentially skip the queue hoping that they can push their way in. this is the first component. the second component is that people don't like those who skip the queue. it's like you've been waiting and going real slow and here's this punk who drives fast to the front of the queue and wants to merge at the last second. there are two components to the problem.
CaptainAndrewWiggins 6 months ago
As a Los Angeleno with a stick shift and a stiff clutch, thank you. Will try.
CaptGrout 6 months ago
You sir are one of the special few who can truly claim they are a good driver.
atmac0 6 months ago 2
I do this :)
My father doesn't, I get all stressed when being a passenger in his car and he freaks out at losing ten seconds when I try to maintain a speed close to my avg.. :P
mckseal 6 months ago
Big rigs have been doing this since the beginning of time.
youtubedude 6 months ago
I found this difficult to fap to.
subdural1 6 months ago
Zen warrior is credit to freeway.
wesrabbit 6 months ago
Great.
audas 6 months ago
Makes a lot of sense. I'd probably get shot though since I drive a Prius and people are already mad at me for having a Prius.
jackdonkey22 6 months ago
"and finally they get into my hole"
KozTV 6 months ago
this is why you will see trucks hold off a lane with construction ahead. people don't know how to merge. the physical act of merging is easy but it's the fact that no one wants to let anyone in front of them.
okron1k 6 months ago
fuck that lol im buying a tank and ramming everyone out da way, move bitch get out da way!
lol j/k bro chill.
WheresTheAnyKey1 6 months ago
I do a similar thing by a different method. I try my absolute best to never touch the brakes on my commute.
Bryanhoop1 6 months ago
Pretty sure that's an illegal maneuver at 1:25
sdflksdfkfh 6 months ago
@sdflksdfkfh Why? That's totally legal.
Bryanhoop1 6 months ago
@Bryanhoop1 Can't merge over solid white line
Hashjihadful 6 months ago
@Bryanhoop1 I'm pretty sure you're not allowed to cross a solid white line, at least not in my state. That looks like a HOV lane, in which case you can only go into it and out of it through the designated sections. Otherwise it's a moving violation with some pretty steep fines.
sdflksdfkfh 6 months ago
I love your strategy and I do the same, but here is your freaking problem. Don't do that in the fast lane. That's it. I let people who are in a hurry cut in and out and it's super annoying when someone does that in the fast lane. If I'm speeding somewhere they unfortunately will get cutt off if it's way too bad.
Tpena4 6 months ago
I just get fewer hours of sleep each night so I can leave extra early for my morning commute (less traffic), then workout in evening or see a movie to wait for traffic to die down on my way home.
Because stress from idiotic drivers in traffic will kill me before sleep deprivation does.
jgq85 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Haha 4:02 "If my hole is letting people in..."
nubianqueen105 6 months ago
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nubianqueen105 6 months ago
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nubianqueen105 6 months ago
I started doing this a couple years ago when I noticed truckers do it all the time, so I tried it myself. I saved a ton of gas by avoiding the stop and go, and I could tell the cars behind me appreciated the smooth pace (except the Audie drivers that felt like riding my ass all the way).
It's not a race, and leaving a gap in front of you doesn't mean you're going slow, it just means you're ahead of the curve in understanding how traffic works.
JRusse42 6 months ago
i've done this my whole driving life i would totally be ok with cars speed being electronically controled its so pointless to zig zag and endanger peoples lives your just gonna find a red light eventually
DohDoh445 6 months ago
I've actually done the same thing many times and in that same spot many times. I love North of Seattle and have to commute back and forth to the airport often.
Calquon 6 months ago
98 people are dirty dirty cheaters
kmofoshomyho 6 months ago
Nice. This sounds like it could be generalized beyond traffic, into a more general economic principle.
kellyellyellyable 6 months ago
This only works if you don't live near Los Angeles and/or people have respect for human life.
babochureum 6 months ago
When I drive I make sure to flip everyone off that I see.
bernie23232323232323 6 months ago
Mate you nailed it!
ongboy 6 months ago
This is a common misconception. You aren't "solving" any traffic problem, because the many people behind you are doing the stop and go thing just as much as they are in front of you. If people are arriving at your jam at high speed, it doesn't matter how "uniform" you think you are driving, he has to hit his breaks while approaching you anyways, as does the person behind him. If there was a LONG break behind you this would work, but then it wouldn't be a jam anyways. Nice try though.
emperor0013 6 months ago
haha, i'm in my 20's and I do this :D
LOLitsJono 6 months ago
@LOLitsJono
I drive in Cali, and I see other drivers do this too, so it's pretty good
LOLitsJono 6 months ago
OK with people passing you?!?! your penis must be humongous
liildubb 6 months ago
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I drive like a race car driver, its the only way in Chicago, make sure you HAVE a horn also
MrRiggyRiggs 6 months ago
@MrRiggyRiggs why not instead drive like a professional commuter?
"Race Car Driver" is something that most people eventually outgrow. Then at last they can start to figure out which techniques work and which do not. (But it took me years to outgrow. I'm still embarrassed about it. Jeeze was I immature. Like an idiot twelve year old, trying to "win" a race which doesn't exist.)
wbeaty 6 months ago 36
@wbeaty Fellow Chicago driver here, I can confirm this.
Chicago drivers may not be the most aggressive, but we are up there. If you leave more than 1 car length between you and the car ahead, people will jump in. This will cause you to slow down to make room for them, which will create what you are trying to avoid.
Seattle is well known for non-aggressive driving, so this would probably work where you are, but not in Chicago.
Phate4219 6 months ago
A sign was put on the Highway at an Accident Zone:
Drive Carefully.
Nude Park Ahead!
Traffic Automatically Slowed Down.
angiierous 6 months ago
Thanks for this video, its EXACTLY how I will drive the next 50 years to come
TheCitygal87 6 months ago
This is not wrong - it's fucking genius. It's stress free driving and I'll never go back.
GoDrex 6 months ago
This is very wrong. I should make a video teaching people howto drive, but I'm too busy DRIVING to do it.
tomstockmail 6 months ago
Ah yes I used to commute from chicago to it's suburbs for about 3 years straight. I was a cheater and a blocker, this video brings back memories.
oggleman 6 months ago
Ive actually kinda noticed this before. When there is traffic i just drive slow to where i dont hit my breaks very often. If nothing else, it is less boring than just sitting there not driving
lawmanbaseball 6 months ago
90 People doesn't own a car.
1989Beefcake 6 months ago
if only everyone would understand the concept of why traffic happens. hopefully many more people will see this video and learn. thank you.
kittyliter008 6 months ago
@wbeaty Another cool concept I've thought of and you might have pondered as well is that in traffic, barring lights, accidents, lane reductions, and other things, the only real reason why those commutes take so long and stop and go occurs is because of human reaction time. Take the average of .25 seconds and multiply it on down the line. If somehow, every car or driver in a lane in a very long line of traffic could instantaneously start at the same time, people could get places much faster!
Krb68691 6 months ago
at their destination much faster. In all reality it doesn't increase the speed, just prevents the stop and go's. Still, very cool though. And in most traffic jams if you pay close enough attention you can get a feel for what "avg speed" to drive at so that you arrive just as the cars ahead of you begin to move. The speed seems to stay fairly constant as long as drivers are paying attention.
Krb68691 6 months ago
Very kool! I always do this too because up in NOVA specifically I66, there is extreme traffic at certain times of the day although I never thought about it to this depth. It is cool t o think you are singlehandedly preventing an entire row of cars from having to suffer the "stop and go". But at the same time, drivers in other lanes see your lane further back and think of it as "the good lane" and try to get into the lane because for some reason they think it will allow them to arrive
Krb68691 6 months ago
intelligents in America..... No way. So, by driving, actually driving, you get there faster....
Zen for me is not driving... But I do use the same kind of thinkng on my bicycle... I kinda laugh at all the people who have to pass the bicycle, because he goes only 20mph... But at almost every redlight I coast up to them.. But if I get my speed right I'll ride a green wave.
cyclenut 6 months ago
What you cant see is the battle of cars behind him fighting to get out his lane. As they say 'look at this douch doing 20miles/hr on the freeway'
JerseyJersey100 6 months ago
@JerseyJersey100 Yes, I need two cameras, with one pointed backwards so you can see that there is no "battle."
Why would a battle exist? After all, I'm driving at the same speed as the car ahead of me, and I'm driving very smoothly.
Also, anyone in this long column of cars can easily leave the line. If they do, they can make a large gain. Why do they sit in a huge slow line? And if they left, why would they merge right back in, which only gets them one car ahead? They're not stupid
wbeaty 6 months ago 36
@wbeaty
as a dedicated "cheater" i can tell you that i am not at all thinking malevolently towards the "wall of cars." To the contrary, they are operating at peak efficiency and i commend that. i, on the other hand, am busy calculating my "cheat" so as not to crash into anyone.
mbzastava1 6 months ago
@JerseyJersey100 You're so right. What this guy is doing is impeding traffic and it's against the law. He deserves a ticket, not praise.
Bumgoblue 6 months ago
Great theory if you have no interest in arriving at your destination. Maybe your car seat is more comfortable than your sofa.
JerseyJersey100 6 months ago
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Look at how many people are flying past you dickwad! You are driving twice as slow!
stpslim 6 months ago
@stpslim Didn't actually listen to the video? Those fast drivers are causing the jam (go watch the first few seconds of the vid. It shows the far end, where they force their way in.)
They cause the jam because nobody will let them in. Their only option is to go down to the far end.
Also, notice that I'm driving at the same speed as the car ahead? By letting ten cars merge, my commute grows from 40min, to 40min 10sec.
But if the jam dissolves, I might gain an entire minute or two.
wbeaty 6 months ago 28
@stpslim Wow pay attention to the lane that he is in, not the lanes next to him. He is driving the same speed either way, except if he does as you suggest, he would only be slightly closer to the car in front of him, with no change in speed whatsoever. It just baffles me that some people (or most people, actually) think that being closer to the car in front of them means that they are driving faster.
Cheespuffs45 6 months ago
@stpslim twice as slow? are you fucking serious?
bajskorv1129 6 months ago
Truckers often moderate the average speed of traffic as you have described here. Starting and stopping is even more annoying in a tractor-trailer, so many of them have figured out how NOT to.
klaptongroovemaster 7 months ago
As a WSDOT employee I very much appreciate this video and how well it has been received. The state has spent a great deal of money on active traffic management systems (ATMs) for essentially the same thing - speed harmonization. Like you have explained the concept is simple, reduce the speed and increase the capacity of the roadway during rush hours. And being courteous goes a long way.
engr100win10 7 months ago 3
@engr100win10 Need television spots & newspaper ads which explain the purpose! Shame all the many lane-blockers. And justify the sane drivers' years of ridicule.
People love this video and associated website trafficwaves org. But I don't link to wsdot. I've found zero online articles. Go write one?
Notice that this vid shows I-5 which now has ATM. I should do another vid: ride the same stretch with wsdot engineers. Let the pros explain the features & their effects in person.
wbeaty 7 months ago 2
I like the concept and have also tried this. For some reason though, driving like this gives me anxiety.
cdodsonrun 7 months ago
gives me anxiety
@cdodsonrun Oh definitely. It took me awhile to figure it out. Think: how do we respond to cheaters who rush along the shoulder to get ahead of everyone else? Should we fear them, and back off to give them room? And what about the ones who do 95MPH in a 65 zone? Well, those drivers who get angry if you maintain buffer space, THEY'RE THE SAME. They're beneath contempt. Don't fear their opinion. Instead cultivate your disgust. (& someday you can release disgust and go zen)
wbeaty 7 months ago
I have been breaking up traffic jams for years. I have seen others doing it, but never heard someone talk about it. It's also great for people who don't have ac. You can keep the car moving and air flowing.
bugilt 7 months ago
Nice thought, but there is no basis for your theory, as we all have seen, the one's that have the drive to get there first. Ever drive in Detroit ? LoL
Auggie56 7 months ago
@Auggie56 read the faq? Check out the section "THIS IS ALL FINE IN THEORY." Nope, this isn't based on any theory. I'm describing what actually happens during daily commutes.
wbeaty 7 months ago 3
The elegant solution. Good to see sense...especially from the land of the greed and the home of the rage. ;)
alanpgoodwin 7 months ago 2
89 people like sitting in traffic?
ribecean 7 months ago 2
I think you are causing traffic jams behind you. Drivers doesn't drive uniform, when you slow down the car behind you will slow down slightly more because of a little thing called reaction time, maximum is 200 milliseconds, so when you hit the breaks he hit the breaks at least 200 milliseconds after you did, which means every other car behind you will break harder and harder causing a traffic jam.
fuunguus 7 months ago
@fuunguus Um. Why should I slow down? That daily jammed lane is already full of stop/go waves before I arrive. So I just drive smooth. If a big space opens up, I DON'T RUSH FORWARD TO FILL IT. This forces everyone behind me to drive at a constant speed, not rushing forward and then all slowing down.
wbeaty 7 months ago