Having an in experienced driver in front can be just as dangerous, most inexperienced drivers drive without confidence, forcing frustrated drivers behind like me to take a calculated manoeuvre :mad: :mad:
But you can always leave a large gap if they are in front.
Having an in experienced driver in front can be just as dangerous, most inexperienced drivers drive without confidence, forcing frustrated drivers behind like me to take a calculated manoeuvre :mad: :mad:
Nah,
It's up to YOU to act appropriately when dealing with any car in front whereas you're at the mercy of any car who's behind you.
Well - if this thread is to be believed - one of the reasons they leave such a large gap is for other road users to utilise (I haven't seen anyone specifically exclude cars from that).
May as well take them up on their kind offer
It was very courteous of him and I was only too happy to take advantage of it.
I am a great believer in courtesy on the road, I was very impressed by the system in Jersey where they take it in turns on junctions, it worked well.
Starting and stopping makes a jam happen if every one moved at 5mph instead of speeding after the car in front and then breaking everyone would be moving it's the idea behind variable speed limits. http://www.smartmotorist.com/images/stories/traffic/swave1.gif
http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/traffic-jams.html
"On my evening commute on I-5 southbound from Everett there is always a right-lane traffic jam at one of the Lynnwood off-ramps. Close-packed cars must crawl along at 2mph for a very long time. Therefore I intentionally approached that jam in the right lane, and started letting a REALLY huge empty space open up ahead of me. By the time I hit the jam, there was maybe 1000ft of empty road ahead of me. Sure enough, my big empty space stopped traffic from feeding it from behind, while the front of the jam kept dissolving as usual. By the time I arrived, the jam was about half the size it had been. Amazing. This wasn't any little traffic wave, yet just a single driver was able to take a huge bite out of it.
Obviously my actions did more than just reduce the size of the jam. In order to create the empty space, I was temporarily driving about 10 mph below the speed of the heavy traffic. I did this for several minutes, and therefore I was causing a slight slowdown behind me. After I arrived at the jam, the jam was smaller. When all was said and done, part of the traffic jam had been removed. However, it was changed into a mild slowdown, and it was spread backwards upstream over several miles of traffic. Rather than driving at 50mph only to crawl along through a traffic jam for several minutes, everybody was now driving at 40mph for a few minutes before the jam, but then having a much smaller traffic jam to endure. The nasty, frustrating part of the 2-mph jam was changed into a large "fuzzy" area of reduced speed. If I had done it correctly, I could have erased the whole jam, transforming it into many minutes of slightly-slow driving for everyone behind me. (If I could have started 30mi upstream of the jam, maybe I would have only needed to drive 3mph slower than traffic.)"
http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/traffic-jams.html
"On my evening commute on I-5 southbound from Everett there is always a right-lane traffic jam at one of the Lynnwood off-ramps. Close-packed cars must crawl along at 2mph for a very long time. Therefore I intentionally approached that jam in the right lane, and started letting a REALLY huge empty space open up ahead of me. By the time I hit the jam, there was maybe 1000ft of empty road ahead of me. Sure enough, my big empty space stopped traffic from feeding it from behind, while the front of the jam kept dissolving as usual. By the time I arrived, the jam was about half the size it had been. Amazing. This wasn't any little traffic wave, yet just a single driver was able to take a huge bite out of it.
Obviously my actions did more than just reduce the size of the jam. In order to create the empty space, I was temporarily driving about 10 mph below the speed of the heavy traffic. I did this for several minutes, and therefore I was causing a slight slowdown behind me. After I arrived at the jam, the jam was smaller. When all was said and done, part of the traffic jam had been removed. However, it was changed into a mild slowdown, and it was spread backwards upstream over several miles of traffic. Rather than driving at 50mph only to crawl along through a traffic jam for several minutes, everybody was now driving at 40mph for a few minutes before the jam, but then having a much smaller traffic jam to endure. The nasty, frustrating part of the 2-mph jam was changed into a large "fuzzy" area of reduced speed. If I had done it correctly, I could have erased the whole jam, transforming it into many minutes of slightly-slow driving for everyone behind me. (If I could have started 30mi upstream of the jam, maybe I would have only needed to drive 3mph slower than traffic.)"
Starting and stopping makes a jam happen if every one moved at 5mph instead of speeding after the car in front
None of your anecdotes are relevant to the situation I described here.
The traffic was gridlocked between roundabouts on a single carriageway road - so the rolling wave scenario or the two lanes merging scenario dont apply.
After sitting on the M60 on a Monday morning for 6 weeks now with a clutch leg absolutely knackered from the constant depression of it - you can politely swivel if you think I'm going to constantly keep up with the arse of the car in front.
After sitting on the M60 on a Monday morning for 6 weeks now with a clutch leg absolutely knackered from the constant depression of it - you can politely swivel if you think I'm going to constantly keep up with the arse of the car in front.
I suspect those driving manuals and those with a modern auto box will have different views on the question.
I suspect those driving manuals and those with a modern auto box will have different views on the question.
It depends on the speed of the queue. You can be lucky in a manual if the average speed matches idling in 1st or 2nd. In an auto you can be unlucky if the speed doesn't match your creep. My Jazz will creep at either 5mph or 15mph. I don't have to press a clutch pedal but I might have to keep tapping the brakes to keep the speed down. That irritates me because normally I try to minimise my use of the brakes and I hate using them to merely adjust(*) my speed.
But by managing the gap to the vehicle in front I can more easily maintain the speed that best suits me. I can drive into the gap to avoid having to slow then let the gap increase to avoid having to speed up. It takes quite a lot of skill but I can usually maintain a fairly constant speed that way.
The best solution I've found though is no longer possible - using the manual choke to control speed. I used that trick a lot with my Austin Mini and Metros
(*)My old driving instructor told me: "Brakes are for stopping and correcting your mistakes."
I have heard that tailbacks are made much worse by people leaving big gaps, and so I try not to do it now. I used to do it to conserve fuel and because it seemed pointless to crawl up someone's bumper when it's only a few feet away.
Its stop start driving that makes tailbacks worse, when people drive too close to the car in front it can create miles of stationary traffic for no reason. The best thing to do is drive as smoothly as possible, try to keep going slowly rather than stopping and starting every few hundred yards.
Just driven back from Crewe - and the A51 was gridlocked going southbound.
One one stretch between roundabouts - there must have been 30-40 car lengths of available road that wasn't being used just because people were either sat daydreaming - or were crawling along extremely slowly (presumably to save brakes/clutch).
recently I was slow in making up a few feet and the man in the van behind throw a cup of tea over the back of my car.he will stress himself into an early grave.
Its stop start driving that makes tailbacks worse, when people drive too close to the car in front it can create miles of stationary traffic for no reason. The best thing to do is drive as smoothly as possible, try to keep going slowly rather than stopping and starting every few hundred yards.
Please explain how this will get anyone moving to their destination quicker? There's some reason the traffic is slow or stopped, I don't see what difference it makes if the people at the back or middle of the queue act much different, it's whatevers causing congestion near the front (a busy roundabout, lanes merging, etc) that has caused the cars to slow to a near halt. I think when it comes to driving and traffic some people have some weird ideas and theories that don't actually makes sense.
One one stretch between roundabouts - there must have been 30-40 car lengths of available road that wasn't being used just because people were either sat daydreaming - or were crawling along extremely slowly (presumably to save brakes/clutch).
30-40 car lengths :eek: I have never seen as huge a gap as that left in the middle of a traffic jam.
Please explain how this will get anyone moving to their destination quicker?
It depends what's causing the problem. If it's because traffic is merging then leaving gaps for traffic to merge can make for better flow. But I think the main benefits of not driving nose to tail are safety, reducing fuel consumption and wear on the vehicle as well making the experience more pleasant for passengers.
It probably doesn't get you to your destination quicker but makes the queuing less unpleasant and damaging.
There is a lot of study into the 'fluid dynamics' of traffic flow and I can see some sense in leaving a gap, depending on the reason for the jam in the first place.
Comments
But you can always leave a large gap if they are in front.
If they are behind its a bit more difficult.
It's the other loons on the road I worry about!
Errrrrrrrrr, dunno, so you can swear at me.
Nah,
It's up to YOU to act appropriately when dealing with any car in front whereas you're at the mercy of any car who's behind you.
Large gaps causes traffic jams :mad:
Its hilarious isnt it. There are some drivers who should really have their licences taken from them.:D
Its quite worrying actually.:eek:
It was very courteous of him and I was only too happy to take advantage of it.
I am a great believer in courtesy on the road, I was very impressed by the system in Jersey where they take it in turns on junctions, it worked well.
http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/traffic-jams.html
"On my evening commute on I-5 southbound from Everett there is always a right-lane traffic jam at one of the Lynnwood off-ramps. Close-packed cars must crawl along at 2mph for a very long time. Therefore I intentionally approached that jam in the right lane, and started letting a REALLY huge empty space open up ahead of me. By the time I hit the jam, there was maybe 1000ft of empty road ahead of me. Sure enough, my big empty space stopped traffic from feeding it from behind, while the front of the jam kept dissolving as usual. By the time I arrived, the jam was about half the size it had been. Amazing. This wasn't any little traffic wave, yet just a single driver was able to take a huge bite out of it.
Obviously my actions did more than just reduce the size of the jam. In order to create the empty space, I was temporarily driving about 10 mph below the speed of the heavy traffic. I did this for several minutes, and therefore I was causing a slight slowdown behind me. After I arrived at the jam, the jam was smaller. When all was said and done, part of the traffic jam had been removed. However, it was changed into a mild slowdown, and it was spread backwards upstream over several miles of traffic. Rather than driving at 50mph only to crawl along through a traffic jam for several minutes, everybody was now driving at 40mph for a few minutes before the jam, but then having a much smaller traffic jam to endure. The nasty, frustrating part of the 2-mph jam was changed into a large "fuzzy" area of reduced speed. If I had done it correctly, I could have erased the whole jam, transforming it into many minutes of slightly-slow driving for everyone behind me. (If I could have started 30mi upstream of the jam, maybe I would have only needed to drive 3mph slower than traffic.)"
http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/traffic-jams.html
Are you sure? Or does it just 'stand to reason' to you? Can you tell us why a few cars leaving gaps of a few car lengths causes traffic jams please?
No, I only answer questions on Thursday's.
No, that would be cars that cause traffic jams not gaps.
Yes, but which one of the two is more likely to have an accident?
This person is quite, quite mad you realise?
Dont get drawn in.
Its plain to see what he's doing.
None of your anecdotes are relevant to the situation I described here.
The traffic was gridlocked between roundabouts on a single carriageway road - so the rolling wave scenario or the two lanes merging scenario dont apply.
I suspect those driving manuals and those with a modern auto box will have different views on the question.
But by managing the gap to the vehicle in front I can more easily maintain the speed that best suits me. I can drive into the gap to avoid having to slow then let the gap increase to avoid having to speed up. It takes quite a lot of skill but I can usually maintain a fairly constant speed that way.
The best solution I've found though is no longer possible - using the manual choke to control speed. I used that trick a lot with my Austin Mini and Metros
(*)My old driving instructor told me: "Brakes are for stopping and correcting your mistakes."
Its stop start driving that makes tailbacks worse, when people drive too close to the car in front it can create miles of stationary traffic for no reason. The best thing to do is drive as smoothly as possible, try to keep going slowly rather than stopping and starting every few hundred yards.
recently I was slow in making up a few feet and the man in the van behind throw a cup of tea over the back of my car.he will stress himself into an early grave.
Please explain how this will get anyone moving to their destination quicker? There's some reason the traffic is slow or stopped, I don't see what difference it makes if the people at the back or middle of the queue act much different, it's whatevers causing congestion near the front (a busy roundabout, lanes merging, etc) that has caused the cars to slow to a near halt. I think when it comes to driving and traffic some people have some weird ideas and theories that don't actually makes sense.
30-40 car lengths :eek: I have never seen as huge a gap as that left in the middle of a traffic jam.
It probably doesn't get you to your destination quicker but makes the queuing less unpleasant and damaging.
http://www.smartmotorist.com/traffic-and-safety-guideline/traffic-jams.html
This is interesting and work done at MIT has shown some similarity with this guys less formal experimentation.