Single drivers can unclog traffic jams?

[snousle]

Interesting stuff at http://trafficwaves.org/ . The video linked from that page is worth watching, and provides a new perspective on driving. The idea that just one driver can have a substantial effect on reducing traffic jams merely by leaving large spaces in front is surprising, but on reflection it makes a lot of sense.

I must admit, I find it very hard to avoid being provoked by aggressive behavior on the road. I last about 30 minutes before losing my cool. This is a major reason I left the Bay Area; traffic was ruining my life. I envy this guy's ability to be a "zen driver" and overcome the competitive impulse, which doesn't do anyone any good in the first place.

I also feel genuinely sorry for those who are so wrapped up in their egos that they cannot even conceive of driving being a non-competitive process. It's a crappy way to live.

Comments

[snousle.livejournal.com]

A big problem with driving is that people apply intuitions appropriate for personal relationships to people that they will never see again.

Punishment behavior is kind of a strange thing. I'm not sure if it improves traffic safety / efficiency or makes it worse. But for sure, people don't apply it in a way that is "rational" beyond rewarding their own instinct to punish; on the road, it doesn't confer the advantages it would in the social environment we're evolved to live in.

It would be a great and wonderful thing to have instincts that were in accordance with the reality of the modern world. Willfully aggressive drivers live in a fantasy world where these conflicts somehow "matter", when in reality they are inconsequential.

One mental trick I use to stay calm is to consider that asshole drivers are like peasants stealing bread - they are so starved for time that they are compelled to scramble for every extra second. I imagine myself magnanimously throwing them crumbs of time, while watching them grovel for more. It's less stressful to feel sorry for them than to get angry at them. Like I said, that works for about 30 minutes, before I'm reminded of why I don't carry a gun. ;-)