Why are there queues on motorways when there is nothing holding you up? I.E. Junction 6,7,8 M1?
Answers:
That's a very good question, because the answer is complicated, and there is lots of research being done on that.
The basic cause is that people fear a crashing flaming death. Then, how that causes traffic jams has a lot to do with wave-like motion theory.
Put simply, when people switch lanes, like to go out or merging in at a junction, the driver behind brakes a little. The one behinds him brakes a little more, to be safe, because the two can't match braking speed exactly, and it's better to be a little farther away from the previous car than a little closer. The one behind does the same, and so on, until someone has stopped.
Then, the first one to be stopped starts again, but it takes a couple of seconds for the one behind him to start as well, because no one wants to drive bumper to bumper. So it takes dozens of minutes for a jam to resorb, even if there is nothing holding up the road.
But really, it's more complicated. I include a couple of links, if you are interested:
i see all
I ride a bike so I can see over the cars and inbetween the cars
Usually there is a nice steady stream of traffic, then someone touches their brakes.
The car behind taps their brakes
Then a car behind isn't really paying attention, looks up sees a brake light then hits the brakes harder.
This is really ammusing when i'm on the bike. I see this domino of brakes lights come towards me and the traffic goes from 100km/h to stop. For no reason. Ha ha, then i keep going up the middle.
It's so ammusing
Tell me about it. Mostly it is due to the bunching effect - cars end up bunching up together leaving big gaps between the groups, like wave effect. Then loads of cars arrive at once at the junction and slow down, and the junction can't handle it. Bloody annoying I know.
it is mainly due to people driving to closely. so when they brake infront, it has a major impact on the cars travelling behind having to brake
Poor lane discipline. There is always a centre lane hog travelling at 65mph!
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