Why traffic jams form for no reason

[LazyLion]

I deal with this every single day on the way home down the R59 South towards Alberton.
First there is a merge from 4 lanes down to 3 (Reading Interchange), but that is not usually where the blockage occurs.
The slow down comes at the two exits (Michelle Avenue and Swartkoppies).
Sometimes the traffic comes to a complete stand still for about 10 seconds at a time.
There doesn't appear to be any rational reason for it except maybe what is described in this article.

Now the solution would appear to be the type of driving advocated in this article, and I do see people trying to do that (leaving larger gaps between them and the car in front of them).
But that all breaks down when you have two lanes as cars from the other lane will immediately move across to fill up any gap they see, forcing the smarter driving cars to slow down even further, and thus pushing another wave backwards.
It's a nice theory, but completely unworkable while you have human drivers in more than one lane of traffic.

 

[Neo_X]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzzSao6ypE

fixed
[video=youtube;iHzzSao6ypE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHzzSao6ypE[/video]

Please just ignore the M word - i know its highly illegal in South africa. But a good watch.

 

[Solarion]

Have a tiny bumper bashing. Stops in the middle of the freeway.

Really people is it so difficult to just pull over onto the curb.

 

[LazyLion]

Have a tiny bumper bashing. Stops in the middle of the freeway.

Really people is it so difficult to just pull over onto the curb.

Stop, take photos quickly, then move vehicles.
Should take less than 5 minutes.

 

[The_MAC]

They do sometimes...I don't know what I missed when I eventually get to the front but there's sometimes nothing there. Traffic lights working, no debris or emergency vehicles...sometimes congestion is congestion.

Its people poer-poering.. The ones that wait in the queue for 10 minutes and then look all surprised when its their turn, like they won a lucky draw.

 

[Nanfeishen]

Its the "speed up then brake" phenomena - instead of just cruising along at a steady pace.

However adding to that its old infrastructure failing to handle the yearly increase in traffic volume thats the biggest reason.

Cape Town is rife with places where the old infrastructure constantly hinders, reduces and creates traffic flow issues.

 

[Napalm2880]

Now the solution would appear to be the type of driving advocated in this article, and I do see people trying to do that (leaving larger gaps between them and the car in front of them).
But that all breaks down when you have two lanes as cars from the other lane will immediately move across to fill up any gap they see, forcing the smarter driving cars to slow down even further, and thus pushing another wave backwards.
It's a nice theory, but completely unworkable while you have human drivers in more than one lane of traffic.

It will be interesting to see the behaviour of a self-driving vehicle on our roads. I'd imagine it would be programmed to leave a large gap thereby allowing human drivers to constantly push in front of it.

 

[krycor]

If people merged curiously, there would be little problem in a lot of roads wherein 2-3 lanes merge.. but usually there is traffic and taxis + suvs & others take a safari down the side and force merge causing a major hold up.

 

[NeonNinja]

I was told everything happens for a reason.