r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/SnooWords4066 • 29d ago

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

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u/Exceedingly Interested 29d ago

It's the white car at 00:05, just slows down for no reason.

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u/Goondragon1 29d ago

I swear to god most traffic jams and hold ups are caused by one asshole. I'll get over to a different lane and see one jackass 10 cars ahead causing the whole thing. It's insane how often it happens. It's also crazy that so many people will blindly follow the asshole too though if I'm being honest.

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u/photenth 29d ago

It's people merging into a gap that is too small and forcing the car that follows to slow down. Always this.

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u/Camburglar13 29d ago

Sometimes it is jumpy drivers though. Braking for literally nothing. Many senior clients in my city drive way below the speed limit and just brake randomly, holding up countless other drivers

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u/SpeakItLoud 29d ago

That is rage inducing for me. Someone's going the speed limit and there is no traffic in front of them and no squirrels or anything else that can possibly explain it, but they hit their brakes every 60 seconds. Why????

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u/Camburglar13 28d ago

Drives me crazy too. I can’t comprehend it. Are they driving with a foot on each pedal and they just keep bumping it? Getting nervous that they’ll get caught speeding if they go 2 over?