Why traffic exists

[SonicHKS]

Here's 1 reason why traffic exists:



Not sure if that's been posted before, but it was a traffic experiment conducted by the Japanese. They told people to drive around the track in a circle, maintaining a steady speed and distance from the person in front of them. You notice that even though there should be no reason for traffic to stack up, it does . Because most people don't know how to maintain speed and following distance. This proves that people riding their brakes, not knowing throttle control, not being able to judge speed/relative speed, etc are what cause traffic.

This is even more important because slushes encourage this kind of driving. Auto-creep is horrible in traffic, and I'd rather pump my clutch all day than ride the brake pedal. Besides that, like most people here I know how to anticipate what traffic's doing, engine brake, coast, etc, to maintain speed and following distance. In traffic I actually don't clutch that much, I can usually leave a buffer in front and bring it down to idle in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and just keep moving. I can also look at the car in front of me and accurately judge its speed, and pace them perfectly.

[ClutchFork]

Auto-creep is horrible in traffic,

and it's a National problem at stop lights and driveway exits. You never know if they are doing the auto creep or actually pulling out in front of you. Spooky sitting at a light in a vehicle that wants to go and you have to hold it back constantly or it will.

[AHTOXA]

Yep. I agree.

[Shadow]

I posted this link on this forum more than two years ago, but now would be a good time to post it again. The more people who understand this, the better off we'll all be when it comes to preventing traffic jams.

http://www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html

[SonicHKS]

I posted this link on this forum more than two years ago, but now would be a good time to post it again. The more people who understand this, the better off we'll all be when it comes to preventing traffic jams.

http://www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html

+1 that helps explain it.

[Shadow]

This is even more important because slushes encourage this kind of driving.

How's that? Out on the highways, our manual transmissions aren't really much different than your basic automatic transmission. I don't see how an automatic encourages driving any differently at all. Once you're out on the open highway, you drive a manual transmission with the accelerator & brake pedals, for the most part (especially if you have a car like mine that never needs to be downshifted on the highway)

Auto-creep is horrible in traffic, and I'd rather pump my clutch all day than ride the brake pedal.

In most stop-n-go traffic, even a manual transmission vehicle will have to use its brakes. In fact, all three pedals are usually required in a manual transmission vehicle (unless you're lucky enough that the car in front of you starts moving again before you get too close to it), while an automatic can usually be operated with nothing but the brake pedal.

Besides that, like most people here I know how to anticipate what traffic's doing, engine brake, coast, etc, to maintain speed and following distance. In traffic I actually don't clutch that much, I can usually leave a buffer in front and bring it down to idle in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and just keep moving. I can also look at the car in front of me and accurately judge its speed, and pace them perfectly.

Yup, that's the big problem. Apparently, not many people are good at that. However, the issue really is the people and not the equipment. It's quite possible to do the same thing in an automatic.

I have to admit that I get amused by the bias that's often present on this forum. There seems to be a few people who have some kind of deeply rooted hatred for automatic transmissions, to the point that they'll even try to find ways to argue that the automatic transmission is the cause of various different problems, etc...

[SonicHKS]

This is even more important because slushes encourage this kind of driving.

How's that? Out on the highways, our manual transmissions aren't really much different than your basic automatic transmission. I don't see how an automatic encourages driving any differently at all. Once you're out on the open highway, you drive a manual transmission with the accelerator & brake pedals, for the most part (especially if you have a car like mine that never needs to be downshifted on the highway)

Auto-creep is horrible in traffic, and I'd rather pump my clutch all day than ride the brake pedal.

In most stop-n-go traffic, even a manual transmission vehicle will have to use its brakes. In fact, all three pedals are usually required in a manual transmission vehicle (unless you're lucky enough that the car in front of you starts moving again before you get too close to it), while an automatic can usually be operated with nothing but the brake pedal.

Besides that, like most people here I know how to anticipate what traffic's doing, engine brake, coast, etc, to maintain speed and following distance. In traffic I actually don't clutch that much, I can usually leave a buffer in front and bring it down to idle in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd and just keep moving. I can also look at the car in front of me and accurately judge its speed, and pace them perfectly.

Yup, that's the big problem. Apparently, not many people are good at that. However, the issue really is the people and not the equipment. It's quite possible to do the same thing in an automatic.

I have to admit that I get amused by the bias that's often present on this forum. There seems to be a few people who have some kind of deeply rooted hatred for automatic transmissions, to the point that they'll even try to find ways to argue that the automatic transmission is the cause of various different problems, etc...

I don't really have to argue, just state it as fact. Automatics are the roof cause of a lot of traffic congestion, because of what I said and things the both of us have actually agreed on.

Anyways, slushes tend to try to "get away from you" as you're driving, as a consequence of the auto-creep and how they try to get into OD as quickly as possible and stay there. It encourages people to ride the ass of the person in front of them, not leave enough space, not pace themselves and go at a steady flow, etc. Driving a standard teaches you how to handle these things and drive better. I know because I remember being a slush-only driver, and my experiences early on driving stick.

Engine-braking, planning ahead as you're driving, etc; well if you don't already understand I don't really see a point to explaining it to you. I'll just say that using this skill, I can roll most traffic lights, avoid stopping constantly in heavy traffic, save money on gas by coasting in gear for long stretches, etc. These things benefit my commute so much that even though I have 1 more pedal to push, its much better than driving a slush. To me, having to hold the car back constantly, the constant stopping (because I can't engine brake and pace as well with the slush), etc all make it more annoying. I'm to the point where driving a stick is subconscious anyways, so driving an automatic isn't more relaxing or easier at all.

[ClutchFork]

There is a really good reason to hate automatic transmissions:
http://www.cartalk.com/content/decline- ... nsmissions

[potownrob]

where's my pizza

[Shadow]

I don't really have to argue, just state it as fact. Automatics are the roof cause of a lot of traffic congestion, because of what I said and things the both of us have actually agreed on.

Automatics aren't the root cause....people are the root cause of traffic congestion. I own a manual Audi and an automatic Toyota. I don't cause (or contribute) any more or less to traffic congestion when I'm in my Toyota as compared to my Audi. That's just silly.

Anyways, slushes tend to try to "get away from you" as you're driving, as a consequence of the auto-creep and how they try to get into OD as quickly as possible and stay there. It encourages people to ride the ass of the person in front of them, not leave enough space, not pace themselves and go at a steady flow, etc. Driving a standard teaches you how to handle these things and drive better. I know because I remember being a slush-only driver, and my experiences early on driving stick.

What? LOL Are you serious? My 4Runner doesn't tend to "get away" from me. It doesn't encourage me to ride anyone's ass. In fact, when I'm on the highway, the moment I ease up on the gas pedal, I drop speed quickly. That's mostly due to the fact that my 4Runner weighs more than two tons and have the aerodynamics of a brick.

Engine-braking, planning ahead as you're driving, etc; well if you don't already understand I don't really see a point to explaining it to you. I'll just say that using this skill, I can roll most traffic lights, avoid stopping constantly in heavy traffic, save money on gas by coasting in gear for long stretches, etc. These things benefit my commute so much that even though I have 1 more pedal to push, its much better than driving a slush. To me, having to hold the car back constantly, the constant stopping (because I can't engine brake and pace as well with the slush), etc all make it more annoying. I'm to the point where driving a stick is subconscious anyways, so driving an automatic isn't more relaxing or easier at all.

If I'm doing 65 mph in 6th gear on a level highway in my Audi and let off the gas, it will coast faster & farther than doing the same thing in my 4Runner. Besides, we were initially discussing stop-n-go traffic, and it's basically impossible to avoid using your brake pedal on a heavily congested highway like that, simply because the people in front of you will stop completely for more than a few seconds. I've managed to roll in traffic using just 1st gear and let my engine braking slow me down to a crawl, but no matter what happens I'll eventually have to stop completely when the traffic is heavy.

[AHTOXA]

It is true. Most of traffic is a slinky - a wave - effect of people driving. They bunch up stopping and stretch out going. This wave flows much like the a stadium crowd wave. It has nothing to do with manual or automatic transmissions.

I thought this is what the original video was about because I assumed that's what was posted. I'll go watch it now and come back to add anything additional if needed.

[theholycow]

I first saw that traffic wave thing something like 10 years ago. I've tried to operate based on it every time I encounter traffic but the traffic I encounter is never the type that works like that. It's either a parking lot or everybody's moving somewhat steadily.

[Shadow]

It is true. Most of traffic is a slinky - a wave - effect of people driving. They bunch up stopping and stretch out going. This wave flows much like the a stadium crowd wave. It has nothing to do with manual or automatic transmissions.
.

Yup....there was a video on YouTube a while back where this guy had a dash cam and he did his best to bust stop-n-go traffic jams by using a slow, but steady speed approach. Basically, he was trying to avoid using his brakes at all and maintain a consistent speed while doing so. Since he left a big gap between his car and the car in front of him, lane jumpers would often fill the gaps, but then he'd just continue to adjust his speed to compensate. Anyway, the idea is to bust up those waves and smooth out the traffic behind him. Most people don't understand this concept and are so obsessed with other drivers cutting in front of them that they just continue to accelerate and brake harder than necessary.

[AHTOXA]

I do a lot of coasting like that. I learned it from watching some semis do that and it works great. No need to stab the throttle only to brake 15 yards later. I don't know why people insist doing that so much that I see cars squatting under accel. Why?

[IMBoring25]

"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it."

Without the force-fit Men in Black quote, it's herd mentality. As the Traffic Waves guy said, most people are unwilling to watch people veer in front of them ("I'm LOSING!") so they try not to allow the space for that to happen. Ironically, that means everyone gets where they're going more slowly and most waste fuel and brakes to do it.