As more people are returning to work, traffic is reverting to being miserable. Want to make it worse?
Return to work is gaining ground and people are back to commuting to the office. Data indicates overall road traffic has largely returned to pre-COVID levels, but the timing is a bit different, rather than a few focused time (early morning, late afternoon). Now traffic is less intense in the original times and is stretched out across the day. If you are part of the road way adventure, do this to make your commute longer.
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Tailgating—driving too closely behind another vehicle—is more than just risky behavior. According to traffic engineers and transportation researchers, it’s one of the hidden causes of the frustrating slowdowns and stop-and-go traffic patterns we experience on highways every day.
Most drivers tailgate because they believe staying close to the car ahead will help them get to their destination faster. But the truth is just the opposite: tailgating reduces the efficiency of traffic flow and makes congestion worse, even when there’s no accident or visible cause.
When vehicles follow too closely, drivers have less time to react to minor speed changes. A light tap on the brakes by one car can cause a ripple effect down the line—each driver behind overreacts slightly more, leading to a phenomenon known as a “shockwave.” These braking shockwaves can travel backward through traffic, causing slowdowns or even complete standstills, seemingly out of nowhere. These are called phantom traffic jams—and tailgating is a major contributor.
In contrast, maintaining a safe following distance—typically a three-second gap between cars—helps stabilize traffic. When each driver has enough space to brake gradually and smoothly, these shockwaves can be minimized or even eliminated. The result is less stop-and-go traffic and faster overall travel times.
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Another issue caused by tailgating is traffic flow instability. Smooth, consistent speeds are critical for keeping vehicles moving efficiently. Tailgating causes drivers to brake suddenly and accelerate rapidly to keep pace, which creates erratic, inefficient flow patterns that bog down the entire system.
The solution? Slowing down, backing off, and driving predictably. Technologies like adaptive cruise control, which automatically adjusts following distances, are helping. But until such features are universal, drivers can play a major role in reducing congestion simply by giving each other space.
So the next time you’re tempted to ride someone’s bumper, remember: tailgating doesn’t get you there faster. It’s making traffic worse—for you and everyone else on the road.
