The Math of . . . Changing LanesStay Patient, Stay Alive

Discover Magazine ^ | April 2005 | Joshua Foer

[Rodney King]

Interesting.

[cvq3842]

VERY interesting. Thanks!

[upchuck]

Somewhat related story:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1377191/posts

[antiRepublicrat]

Outlaw lane changing, it's a killer!

[Semper Paratus]

I would prefer a straight forward test. Take two drivers and send them on a 10 mile heavy traffic stretch of road.

Have driver one drive only in one lane, or allow 2 lane changes max, and have the other driver change lanes when he felt it would speed his trip.

[6SJ7]

To test their hypothesis, Redelmeier and Tibshirani built a computer model that simulated two-lane traffic, then populated it with hundreds of virtual Honda Accords...

Well, there's the problem. The roads I travel on are not all populated with Honda Accords.

[KarlInOhio]

. “During any trip, there’ll be far fewer moments of pleasure when you’re passing and far more moments of pain when you’re being overtaken,” Redelmeier says. “That imbalance holds for every driver on the roadway.”

Not if you are always the fastest driver. Then you only get the pain of being passed when Officer Donutmuncher asks you if you know how fast you were going.

[MineralMan]

It is interesting. I've been in countless traffic jams when I lived in California. Stop and go traffic is endemic to the area.

I always stay in whatever lane I find myself in when the traffic piles up. As soon as the stop and go starts, I make a mental note of the cars alongside of me.

I stay in my lane. When the backup ends, I generally am no more than three or four cars ahead of or behind the cars I noted when the backup began.

Cars pass, and are passed. The actual time consumed is about the same, regardless. Staying in one lane in slow traffic situation lowers the risk of an accident, it seems to me.

[bygrace85]

Good reminder. Thanks.

[cvq3842]

LOL!

[Dr. Frank fan]

Right. And sometimes you can do a real-world approximation of your test. Say you're driving relatively sanely (not bending over backwards to change lanes all the time). You don't even have to abstain from all lane-changes, just keep them to a minimum. Eventually some car will approach from behind that is changing lanes like crazy and trying to go as fast as he perceives he can. Keep an eye on that car after it passes you.

15 miles later, it'll probably be no more than a few car lengths ahead of you.

I drive a lot and see it all the time.

[MineralMan]

"15 miles later, it'll probably be no more than a few car lengths ahead of you.

I drive a lot and see it all the time."

---

You're right. I have the same experience.

My favorite example is from a 13 mile stretch of two-lane, two way road. Speed limit was 55. It's heavily traveled during rush hour, since the road led from a bedroom community to the town most folks worked in.

There were two center passing lanes in that 13 miles. One stretch for each direction.

The average speed on that road is 55 mph. But drivers were constantly trying to whiz around drivers going that speed. Unsafe passing was common.

The bottom line was that the driver in front of or behind you when you started off on that 13-mile road was never more than three cars out of that position at traffic signal at the end of that road, no matter how recklessly they drove. They made the trip at the 55 mph average, no matter how hard they tried to get there faster.

Me? I just drove at the prevailing speed and left room between my vehicle in the one in front of me, so the idiots could pull in there when passing room ran out.

[MoralSense]

A couple of years of riding only motorcycles in L.A. led me to the following train of thought: You can encounter other vehicles in 3 ways -- crossing, opposing, or overtaking (or being overtaken). Of those three, overtaking is by far the most dangerous.

[expatpat]

That may be true in general, but there's no question that when I go out, the other lane is always moving faster!

[Gingersnap]

I drive through downtown Denver every day during rush hour. Denver has the third worst traffic congestion in the nation.

I already know the fastest lanes to any destination in the city. I don't change lanes unless there's an accident or road work.

I seem to inevitably catch up with cars that have passed me within 4 or 5 minutes.

[Cruising Speed]

Donald Redelmeier is riding shotgun in my Chrysler Sebring. Just stay in this lane,” Redelmeier says, craning his neck to check the side mirror.

What a blooming idiot! Only a complete moron blocks the driver's view of the rear-view mirror!!! This article gives credence to the stereotype of 'pointy-headed professor'.

[boojumsnark]

Has anyone ever heard a really good reason to use the left lane for anything but passing?

Saw a bumper sticker once: LEFT LANE FOR PASSING AND SOCIOPATHS ONLY!

[DManA]

I don't care if it's smarter. It's much more satisfying to make a move.

[Semper Paratus]

was never more than three cars out of that position at traffic signal at the end of that road

And back at 55mph how much time difference is that? 5 seconds?

[highnoon]

I also drive a lot (50-60K per year) and have found that when driving in cities, it is best to stay in the fast lane almost exclusively. My theory is that the slower (right-hand lanes are close to exit and entry ramps, which cause minor havoc on a lot of drivers.

I have also noticed that if I am bunched up in the fast lane, and there is an opening in the slower lane, quite a few women get into the slow lane, pass everyone to her left, and then get stuck until all of the fast lane traffic plus a few others have passed her.

Another observation: People drive like f***ing idiots within a mile of their homes. I fortunately do most of my driving in rural areas, and I can't tell you how many times I've been passed by a suicide driver, (and I drive 74-77 mph on posted 70 mph roads) only to have him/her (mostly hims) put on the blinker and turn a half a mile or so later.