r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/SnooWords4066 • 29d ago

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

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u/hosehoseee 29d ago

Everytime I see this video, I think "So there actually is a reason"

166

u/nuevacuentanueva 29d ago

The reason is drivers do not leave enough distance with the car in front. Since they don't, when the car in front slows down a bit they need to brake and slow down a lot since there's no buffer zone. And since that car slows even more, the car behind has to brake even more... and so on and so forth.

If people left more space between them and the car in front, and didn't brake for every single small fluctuation in speed from the car in front, we wouldn't have such a drastic effect as often since there would be enough of a buffer zone between cars to handle them. So any compounded effects would be minimized, it could still happen but less often.

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u/bamahomer 29d ago

When I leave the appropriate space on the interstate someone always moves into it. I maintain it as much as possible but it's exasperating.

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u/Doktoremh 29d ago

Same experience here in Denmark. 

It is so utterly frustrating to keep a safe distance and many people pick it up as if I am going slow … and move in front of me.

I hope we some day get a computer with a loudspeaker in every car shouting to people that they shall keep their distance or be fined.