DAVE ROSS

Science has spoken: We are creating needless traffic jams

May 17, 2018, 7:17 AM | Updated: 11:47 am

puyallup...

(File, Associated Press)

(File, Associated Press)

Research shows that there is a right way to drive, and a wrong way to drive. Guess which way most of us choose that results in traffic jams.

RELATED: Distracted driving, left-lane camping still rampant

One of the worst rush-hour driving habits is that everybody wants to go as fast as they can until they have to mash the brake. That forces the tailgating driver behind to overreact, creating a chain reaction of overreaction, bringing everyone to a dead stop – even though nothing’s physically blocking the freeway.

So, Professor Gabor Orosz at the University of Michigan ran an experiment where he positioned a single self-driving car in a line of human-driven cars. The self-driving car was equipped to receive speed data from the six cars ahead of it so that it would automatically slow down before getting too close to the car in front so that it could brake more gently without ever coming to a stop.

The professor found that having just that one well-behaved car in the mix prevented the traffic from bunching up, and everyone kept moving.

RELATED: Our minds will soon be at their mercy

Well, it occurs to me that we humans can also typically see several cars ahead – if we actually pay attention. So, what if we all decided to proactively slow down instead of mashing the brake and causing needless traffic jams?

Science has spoken, and it’s telling us that the only way to handle a bad guy with a car is a good guy with a car.

Thank you, Science.

Dave's Commentary

Dave Ross on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to dave rossTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 5am for Dave Ross on Seattle's Morning News.

Dave Ross

election day...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross: Election Day and Decision Day are two separate things

Tomorrow is Election Day – that’s what the calendar says. But there are two problems with the term "Election Day."

4 days ago

negative political ads...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross: How I learned to stop worrying and love negative political ads

People say they hate negative political ads, but the reality is conflict is the soul of drama, and negative ads work.

11 days ago

FILE - People attack the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Jan. 6, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, F...

Dave Ross

Dave Ross: ‘The Love Fest’ that was also known as ‘The Insurrection’

“There was also a love fest between the police, the capitol police, and the people that walked down to the capitol," Donald Trump said.

18 days ago

election denial...

Dave Ross

Ross: Denial is still in style when it comes to election results

I think we all have to accept that many of our neighbors, at this time in our history, have election denial regarding Donald Trump.

1 month ago

politicians lie...

Frank Sumrall

Are there legal consequences for politicians who lie even after they’ve been caught lying?

Are any legal consequences for politicians who continue to lie even after they've been caught lying? Former WA AG Rob McKenna explains.

1 month ago

motorcycles noise...

Dave Ross

Ross: Enough of the broken muffler noise from motorcycles

Drivers are already white-knuckling it because of street racing, road rage, carjackings, shootings and the confusing lane markings this area provides.

2 months ago

Science has spoken: We are creating needless traffic jams