Millions Of Drivers Make This Error, Which Results In Lines And Traffic Bottlenecks, According To A Mathematician

It’s tempting for many drivers to merge into the lane where traffic is moving, or at least making it go faster. However, according to a mathematician from Britain, it does not bring any benefit in practice. Instead, he advises three simple rules that can help avoid or alleviate congestion.

Some drivers often change lanes in an attempt to get to their destination faster. However, it is not a successful strategy—it simply does not pay.

This conclusion was reached by mathematician Randa Herzallah from the University of Warwick in England, who published her analysis in The Conversation magazine.

Many believe that traffic jams are only caused by obvious obstacles such as a traffic accident, roadworks, or a closed lane. However, traffic jams are often the result of numerous small human reactions, such as small differences in braking and driver reaction time.

When you cross into the other lane, the driver behind you must slow down to let you pass. Then the vehicle behind him slows down, and then the one behind him. That wave of deceleration propagates backwards and can create a column, even when there are no obstacles in the way.

Changing the traffic lane causes precisely such disruptions to which other drivers must react. If a large number of drivers behave in the same way, the probability of a queue increases.

“What seems like a smart decision to one driver can end up making the situation worse for everyone else,” Herzallah said.

Based on mathematical calculations, Randa Herzallah has three tips for drivers, backed up by math, to make traveling more efficient: keep a safe distance from the car in front, accelerate and brake smoothly, and resist the temptation to change lanes to get there a little faster.

Therefore, mathematical models show that if most drivers drive predictably and without unnecessary lane changes, traffic flows faster and with less congestion.

• Also See: How Far Can EVs Travel After Their Batteries Are Completely Depleted?