Daily commute - Removing Traffic waves

[tttthumper]

I found this website many months ago, and it made alot of sense.
I applied a few things, and along with P&G I get great FE#'s.


Instead of stop and go in traffic 0 - 60km/h -> 0 -> 60. I try to keep a constant 30km/h

Merging Lanes
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/seatraf.html

When someone presses on brakes or merges slowly, which causes a brake wave for 15 or more cars.
http://amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html#wv

There's alot of reading, but if everyone applied a buffer and allowed people to merge, then traffic would move alot smoother.

I personally feel I've erased many waves while driving.

Enjoy!
Peter

I just got my best tank of 1304kms (810 miles).
Daily commute is mostly 110-120km/h.(68-75mph)

 

[LokiWolf]

Good Post. I agree keeping a constant speed in traffic, and increasing your following distance would help.

 

[JyRO]

I agree increasing following distance would work. However, trying to instill that method of driving on ~85% of the driver's out there is like talking to a wall, and expecting it to grow ears. Ain'ta gonna happen.

 

[whitedog]

If I tried to keep two second following distance, I would have to stop. As soon as there is one second distance someone fills the gap. So I slow down. Then someone fills the gap. Wash, rinse, repeat.

 

[mk4gasm]

If I tried to keep two second following distance, I would have to stop. As soon as there is one second distance someone fills the gap. So I slow down. Then someone fills the gap. Wash, rinse, repeat.

+1 if i let there be a sufficient gap between me and the car in front, i might as well just turn my car off. i do however ALWAYS get left to give the merger a free lane or bigger gap to merge into. it helps a little, and it makes me feel good about myself

 

[whitedog]

and it makes me feel good about myself

LOL! Me too, but in the end, sometimes, I think that's all we get out of it! LOL!

 

[mrGutWrench]

(snip) if everyone applied a buffer and allowed people to merge, then traffic would move alot smoother.

__. I've written often on here (a subjective feeling on my part with no objective facts but I think it's about right) that traffic that slows to 40 then speeds to 55 then slows to 40 then speeds to 55 is harder on your MPG's than stoplights every mile or so. (OK, maybe not as bad as stoplights every mile or so but still a lot worse than smoothly flowing traffic at a consistent speed). I hate crowded traffic - one of the reasons that I get good mileage is that I'm retired and I can usually pick my driving times and avoid crowds. Good post and good thinking, thump -- I agree with your conclusions.

 

[tttthumper]

If I tried to keep two second following distance, I would have to stop. As soon as there is one second distance someone fills the gap. So I slow down. Then someone fills the gap. Wash, rinse, repeat.

Whitedog, mk4gasm - You might as well stop, or turn off the car?
Both of you made the comment "If I tried...." or "If I let there be", so your making a comment on something without trying it.
Try it for more than 5 mins worth, you might be surprised.

Yes This WILL happen, but not constantly. The person that changes lanes in front of you, either a) speeds up and drives with speed of traffic, which then you have the buffer again, or b) this person changes lanes again when there's another small opening in another available lane.



This weekend I went camping and drove to Haliburton (~2 hrs north of Toronto).
I followed a buddy up there Friday night, leaving a nice buffer in front of me and coasting where I could.
I got 3.9LHK(60mpg), and on the drive home I got 4.1LHK(57mpg).

So an average of 4.0 LHK, this is driving an 80km/h(50mph) highway driving between 90 -100km/h.(50-62mph)

Nobody said that hypermiling had to be slow.

Peter

 

[whitedog]

I have tried it and that is where I got my information.

 

[Schwabe]

Leaving a buffer and looking ahead to see what traffic will do can save tons of fuel. As soon as I seen brake lights flash up I shift into neutral and coast.

 

[EddyKilowatt]

Funny you should mention that... yesterday evening I got passed on the shoulder by a guy who took exception to the four-second gap I allowed to open ahead of me when I saw brake lights 1/4 mile ahead.

The minor satisfaction of seeing him slam on his brakes ten seconds later was mixed with the sad certainty that he probably learned nothing from that little lesson that life (and the laws of physics) offered him.

I am someone who will try to move at traffic speed, and not obstruct the flow by trying to hyper-mile at some tenth-percentile speed. But following distance is a big issue for me and I have probably been guilty of annoying other drivers through my desire to smooth out traffic waves and (more selfishly) keep from having to step on the brake un-necessarily.

Eddy

 

[tttthumper]

Funny you should mention that... yesterday evening I got passed on the shoulder by a guy who took exception to the four-second gap I allowed to open ahead of me when I saw brake lights 1/4 mile ahead.

The minor satisfaction of seeing him slam on his brakes ten seconds later was mixed with the sad certainty that he probably learned nothing from that little lesson that life (and the laws of physics) offered him. .......(snip)

Eddy

Yep that will happen all the time, and it seems they will never learn.

Meanwhile your coasting because you saw the brake lights, and the idiot used more fuel to pass you only to slam on his brakes, wearing his brake pads more.

What really makes me laugh is when ...... Someone moves from the "slower" lane to the "big gap", which to them means "faster lane" only to have that spot in the slower lane move past them again.

Peter

 

[tttthumper]

Leaving a buffer and looking ahead to see what traffic will do can save tons of fuel. As soon as I seen brake lights flash up I shift into neutral and coast.

That's great.

I just take my foot off the pedal.

 

[Hawkwind]

Over many years of trying to help traffic flow a bit smoother, I've come to the conclusion that 95% of drivers are too stupid to figure out how to help decrease stop and go traffic. The only ones that seem to get it are the professional truck drivers. Now let me tell ya, parallelling a semi and blocking traffic will DEFINATELY not win you any friends but it's sure nice just keepin a steady pace.

 

[shizzler]

Haha, never came across anyone describing this behavoir on the road.
I sometimes sarcastically boast to friends that I am an "ambassador" of the roadways. I often cruise a little slower in the fast lane to help remove the accordian effect - end result is not having to use the brakes at all.
Only the real hot heads will pass on the right. I also pull into the right lane whenever traffic is lighter.

Its hard not to sigh when a gargantuan SUV rides your ass until you pull over to the right, only for them to gun it up to the next car in the left lane and have to brake, causing a new traffic wave.....

 

[Uncle_Dave]

Whitedog, mk4gasm - You might as well stop, or turn off the car?
Both of you made the comment "If I tried...." or "If I let there be", so your making a comment on something without trying it.
Try it for more than 5 mins worth, you might be surprised.

Yes This WILL happen, but not constantly. The person that changes lanes in front of you, either a) speeds up and drives with speed of traffic, which then you have the buffer again, or b) this person changes lanes again when there's another small opening in another available lane.



This weekend I went camping and drove to Haliburton (~2 hrs north of Toronto).
I followed a buddy up there Friday night, leaving a nice buffer in front of me and coasting where I could.
I got 3.9LHK(60mpg), and on the drive home I got 4.1LHK(57mpg).

So an average of 4.0 LHK, this is driving an 80km/h(50mph) highway driving between 90 -100km/h.(50-62mph)

Nobody said that hypermiling had to be slow.

Peter

Your location may say something.

Last November I drove from Boston to Toronto. Once I past into Canada I felt that something was wrong. Took me about ten miles - All the cars off the road. When I arived in Toronto, it was explained to me that the accident rates were so high on the QEW and other expressways up there, that if a diver could catch the interest of a cop, and the driver was stopped, it would mean loss of Licence AND Registration.

Sounds drastic, and it is. However up there in Toronto there has been a reduction of accidents shutting down the highways for hours, and you have found that now you can plan on getting to work.

Just the other morning we had another tanker flip over on I495 / I90.


On our latest trip to Toronto, we saw an accident in the making ahead of us. Took a little while, but every one drove away from it. Traffic is getting a little more uniform.


Bottom line to me is that the roads are safer, the condtions are improving the MPG without the long stoppages.


The other thing that you have is the Daylight Driving Lights.


I have to give you Canadians credit for making some improvements.

 

[cptmox]

This thread perfectly describes my daily commute down the Eisenhower Expy. My motives for driving like I do are purely selfish however. Since I'm usually the only one that leaves a 3, 4, or 5 car gap in front of me, it serves no greater good to the flow of traffic. In reality, I probably p!ss off enough drivers, that they speed around me in fury just to have to get hard on the brakes and create a good wave of braking.

I'm able to save fuel, brake dust and my clutch by keeping it in gear. My car idles along at 5mph in 1st, 10 in second, 15 in 3rd, 20 in 4th, and 27 in 5th. I generally stay in 3rd gear, and idle along with the occasional blip throttle to keep up with the flow of traffic that generally averages 17 or 18 mph. I mitigate the accordian effect of traffic by letting the gap in front of me open and close.

 

[TDI_207]

Its hard not to sigh when a gargantuan SUV rides your ass

I give'em the windshield washer treatment when they get to close. After inconveniencing them a couple of times by making them turn on their wipers they usually back off a little.

 

[meby]

Haha, never came across anyone describing this behavoir on the road.
I sometimes sarcastically boast to friends that I am an "ambassador" of the roadways. I often cruise a little slower in the fast lane to help remove the accordian effect - end result is not having to use the brakes at all.
Only the real hot heads will pass on the right. I also pull into the right lane whenever traffic is lighter.

Its hard not to sigh when a gargantuan SUV rides your ass until you pull over to the right, only for them to gun it up to the next car in the left lane and have to brake, causing a new traffic wave.....

ummm....excuse me, but the left lane is called the fast lane for a reason! Not only is it not your problem if people waste fuel, but its also wrong to drive slow in the fast lane.

 

[talltacoma]

I, too, love the driver that will ride a persons 'gate only to pass and accelerate for 500' and proceed to repeat the procedure.

 

[cptmox]

ummm....excuse me, but the left lane is called the fast lane for a reason! Not only is it not your problem if people waste fuel, but its also wrong to drive slow in the fast lane.

You haven't been reading the whole thread. What he is referring to, is cruising slower and steadier, removing the accordion effect. That actually turns the 'fast lane' back into the faster lane once again by keeping it moving. It's impossible for the short-sighted to see. There will always be plenty of folks who use heathly doses of accelerator and brakes and lane changes in an overly frustrated attempt to get ahead of him, just to watch him cruise by at a nice steady speed.

The whole time getting 5-10 better mpgs.

I can hear it right now actually. "What the he!! is this guy doing? He's got like 5 car lengths in front of him! If it weren't for this guy, I would be ALL THE WAY UP THERE!" A whole 25 ft.

Just crank the Monsoon and relax.

 

[tttthumper]

The other day on the way home there was a man in a honda Civic, he was switching lanes back and forth across 3 lanes to try and get further.

Everytime I passed him I yelled "azzhole". I passed him 3 times.

 

[meby]

You haven't been reading the whole thread. What he is referring to, is cruising slower and steadier, removing the accordion effect. That actually turns the 'fast lane' back into the faster lane once again by keeping it moving. It's impossible for the short-sighted to see. There will always be plenty of folks who use heathly doses of accelerator and brakes and lane changes in an overly frustrated attempt to get ahead of him, just to watch him cruise by at a nice steady speed.

The whole time getting 5-10 better mpgs.

I can hear it right now actually. "What the he!! is this guy doing? He's got like 5 car lengths in front of him! If it weren't for this guy, I would be ALL THE WAY UP THERE!" A whole 25 ft.

Just crank the Monsoon and relax.

Actually I had read the whole thread.

My point was and is that if he is getting passed while he is in the left lane....

 

[NarfBLAST]

ttthumper,

THANK YOU! I went to trafficwaves.org and did a little reading but then I clicked on the link to the video: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1550345/breaking_up_a_traffic_jam/

AND IT BLEW MY FREAKING MIND!

It all makes sense now.

Thanks again.

edit: just finished reading all three pages and the FAQ.

 

[GoFaster]

Uncle Dave, if you think that vehicle seizure law has stopped major collisions, you are sadly mistaken; we've had our share of transport truck roll-overs this summer (those are the collisions that result in major highway closures).

Regarding the traffic waves, I try to do this but within limits, I keep the following distance to not more than 3 seconds (to minimize the number of people who jump in to fill the gap) unless I am beside a transport truck ... because most of those drivers "get it".

 

[Ookpic]

this is a good idea and I tend to do the same thing naturally. I try to be as courteous as possible. I really do hate it when the people in the right lane fly down past a line of cars that is obviously jammed only to try and butt in line. If I see that happening I may not let them in. If there is a 2 lane merge down into one lane, I generally try to let at least one or two people in front of me.

Notice on this guys video at the top of the second link, he is driving by himself but at 1:27 on the video he changes lanes into the car pooling lane.

 

[I'm WNY PAT]

Haha, never came across anyone describing this behavoir on the road.
I often cruise a little slower in the fast lane to help remove the accordian effect - end result is not having to use the brakes at all.
quote]

Now, if everyone would use the passing lane for passing and the travelling lane for travelling, we'd all be better off. Forcing people to pass you on the right makes it more dangerous for everyone on the road. I saw a semi the other day with three signs on the back:

1. keep the flow for safety
2. if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you
3. <- passing side
-> dumbass side

If you have a chance to let traffic pass you in the passing lane, pull on over, slow down a couple miles an hour... and let them go. Otherwise you'll just inspire more road rage.

 

[SoCalC]

I, too, love the driver that will ride a persons 'gate only to pass and accelerate for 500' and proceed to repeat the procedure.

Do you love them because you give them a ticket or are they just amusing to you? As I have said before tailgating is my single biggest gripe with what is going on today. Please ticket these people. I assume cruiser video is the main purely objective evidence? I consider it a bigger deal than most speeding. Anyone who is truly honest and objective realizes this is true. No less than half of drivers I interact with on SoCal freeways are what I would consider to be tailgaters. It gets really old.

On a lighter note, I drove from SoCal to Reno by way of Carson City (saw you know who on Saturday in Carson City ) for the air races.

13xx mile fillup interval with some buffer fuel between fuel ups and I turned in 53.6 mpg to include going in and out of the Sierra both east and west side multiple times. This car is great.

 

[NarfBLAST]

I tried leaving extra space today (between 6 and 10 car lengths, or two transport truck lengths) for two hours (aprox 180km) in medium QEW / 403 traffic... It was great, only a few poeple pulled into my space, and they usually quickly pulled out again! It was amazing!

I just kept thinging "bring my space with me" and "use the power of anti-traffic".

There were few tailgaters, probably because traffic wasn't that heavy, but also because I could use the space to allow me to speed up and allow them to pass.

The weirdest thing is that I started to notice other poeple that leave tonnes of space.

I also tought about: "Don't punish cheaters (who pass you in the merging lane)... let them pull in to your anti-traffic space, they will soon be gone, and besides, they may not be cheaters anyway, it isn't fair to judge."

I used to think going slower than everyone else was the way to calmness on the roads, but this is much better.

 

[kafer65]

I think I'd recognize it if I witnessed someone in the left lane trying to even out traffic flow. That probably wouldn't bother me, personally. I understand why the truckers do it too. I, however, have had times where the truckers block both lanes and drive excessively slow. Once a truck parked sideways on the highway, thinking he was helping somehow. I carefully pulled around him, on the extreme left sholder and went on my way. There were no issues in front of him. He gave me a dirty look when I went by. I could see clearly for at least a mile in front of him. Sometimes you just can't figure what people are thinking. I just try to stay cool and be aware of my surroundings, but I'd like to add that the #1 reason for road rage is left lane hogs. I just wish they would time stop lights better to reduce idling. I know queuing traffic may be very complex but come on, its obviously not right sometimes.