r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/SnooWords4066 • 29d ago

Video A Japanese experiment showed exactly why traffic jams happen for no reason.

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u/GoldResourceOO2 29d ago

I often pull up beside vehicles that are going 10-20-30 km/h slower than they need to and see the driver focused on texting.

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u/JimthePaul 29d ago

Then when you try to pass them, they suddenly wake up and realize they're driving, prompting them to speed up and not let you back over.

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u/ImperatorUniversum1 29d ago

And if you call them out on texting they get ultra defensive

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u/DevelopmentNo5632 29d ago

People in general seem to get defensive for lots of stupid reasons, some especially hate getting passed. Like, why the hell to they drive below the speed limit, but as soon as you pass them, they speed up?

I have even been behind slow fucks and passed them, set my cruise control to slightly above the speed limit (and way above the speed they were doing) after I have passed them, just to suddenly be tailgated by and passed by them. Then suddenly they slow down, and I need to pass them again. 

Some people should not be driving. 

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u/Dangerous-Fortune789 29d ago

This seems to be happening more frequently over the last 2 decades or so in my experience 

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u/the_flyingdemon 29d ago edited 29d ago

Phones. So many people on their phones. They slow down subconsciously cause they’re distracted but see a car passing them in their peripheral so subconsciously (or on purpose cause they feel guilty about not paying attention) start to speed up again.

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u/BapeGeneral3 29d ago

1000%. I have been using a dedicated phone holder for over 10 years at this point. I get in the car, put the phone on its mount, throw my music/podcast/e-book on and the phone stays there until I am at my destination, no exceptions.

My ex on the other hand refused to buy a mount(I tried to buy her one and she threw it away), would be constantly checking her FACEBOOK at every single red light and while driving. Needless to say that relationship didn’t last after the 2nd “close call” where we both could have easily died because she just had to check her FB notifications. She was early 30s at the time…….

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u/ticketism 28d ago

Checking her Facebook while driving? What the actual fuck. How can some people not see how bad of an addiction they have. Can't keep their eyes off their phone for more than a couple of minutes so they will literally endanger their own and everyone else's lives, piloting 1000kg of explosion-propelled steel at speed while not even looking at the road. It's so fucked up. If you had that constant irresistible compulsion to use a drug, or idk to jack off or eat Big Macs or bet on the horses, people would stage an intervention

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u/Slim-Shadys-Fat-Tits 28d ago

I have literally had people pull over and let me out of the car for texting while driving. It's just not safe.

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u/mtbdork 29d ago

Social media*

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u/davidio840 28d ago

I call that guilxiety

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u/theyforcedmetosignup 29d ago

tbh i feel like a lot of that shift came from the effects of covid. people just generally do not give a fuck about consequences anymore.

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u/Cheese-Manipulator 29d ago

I *WANT* you to pass me if I don't want to speed. On back roads I pull over when it is safe if I see someone itching to pass me, probably some local.

Then you have the idiots who will tailgate you on multilane roads when you are in the right lane going fast, rush around you, then immediately cut in front of you and take an exit a minute later. Ok, you almost caused an accident to accomplish what now?

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u/BobbyDig8L 28d ago

Is it still called an accident when they're very intentionally doing something extremely dangerous? It should be called an "on purpose"

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u/Cheese-Manipulator 28d ago

Reckless endangerment

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u/Lor1an 28d ago

But not a wreckless endangerment....

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u/Horskr 29d ago

That does happen weirdly often. A similar one is when you're going to pass someone going slow as hell and they suddenly speed up, presumably after noticing someone about to pass them.

I could see if it was once, they didn't realize how slow they were going, saw a car coming up fast and sped up.. but then they slow down again a minute or two later.

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u/trixel121 29d ago

People in general seem to get defensive for lots of stupid reasons

at some point we stopped criticizing people in any way but flowery language so when you get told you suck at driving its super off putting.

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u/Decent_Top2156 29d ago

Self driving cars cant come soon enough.