There’s nothing worse than setting off in the car, only to get stuck in a traffic jam.
But the days of angrily honking your horn could finally be a thing of the past, as scientists have revealed the best way to beat congestion.
According to Dr Randa Herzallah, the worst thing you can do is to switch lanes.
‘If you’ve ever found yourself staring enviously at the lane next to you, convinced it’s moving faster, you’re not alone,’ she explained in an article for The Conversation.
‘Most of us instinctively believe that changing lanes will get us home sooner.
‘But mathematics suggests this intuition is usually wrong.’
Instead of changing lanes, Dr Herzallah says that there are three easy ways to beat traffic jams.
She added: ‘If everyone adopts them, this should reduce the time you spend in traffic queues.’
There’s nothing worse than setting off in the car, only to get stuck in a traffic jam. But the days of angrily honking your horn could finally be a thing of the past, as scientists have revealed the best way to beat congestion
When you’re stuck in traffic, you might be tempted to move across to a different lane.
However, this is ‘rarely worthwhile’, according to Dr Herzallah.
‘A lane change creates a small disturbance that neighbouring drivers must react to,’ she explained.
‘If many drivers behave in the same way, these disturbances accumulate and increase the likelihood of traffic waves.
‘So, what feels like a clever decision for one driver can ultimately make conditions worse for everyone.’
Based on her research, Dr Herzallah advises three key measures you can take to ease the pain of a traffic jam.
Firstly, maintain a safe following distance.
Next, make sure you accelerate and brake smoothly.
When you’re stuck in traffic, you might be tempted to change to a different lane. However, this is ‘rarely worthwhile’, according to Dr Herzallah (stock image)
And finally, resist the temptation to keep switching lanes in search of tiny gains.
‘Applied mathematics shows the fastest way to your destination isn’t to drive more aggressively,’ she said.
‘It’s to help keep the entire system stable.’
The news comes shortly after researchers argued that increasing the amount of time cars have to wait at red lights could encourage commuters to switch to more sustainable transport.
They said traffic lights strongly influence behaviour, and making people wait longer could prompt them to explore other options.
And to make things even worse, they suggest giving buses, cyclists and pedestrians longer green–light time to make them tempting alternatives.
‘Our simulations show that modest reductions in car–prioritized green time shift commuters toward walking, cycling, and public transport without costly infrastructure changes,’ the researchers said.
‘These findings reveal that traffic lights are not just flow regulators but powerful tools to promote sustainable urban mobility and healthier, more efficient cities.’
They said just a 10–20 per cent decrease in the amount of green–light time that cars get is enough to have an impact.
But it could mean several minutes are added to each commute – making it substantially longer.
