No Fast Lane: The Psychological Reason Behind Traffic Frustration
Why is the alternate lane in congested traffic accelerating quicker?
Traffic jams can turn a fun road trip into a tedious ordeal. And it's not just the long wait that aggravates drivers; it's the observation that the other lane seems to be moving faster!
That's right—it's not always your imagination. According to traffic jam expert Michael Schreckenberg, the human brain is predisposed to perceive the other lane as advancing quicker due to a psychological phenomenon.
So, are there better and worse lanes in a traffic jam?
It's often merely a matter of perception, Schreckenberg explains. We tend to notice the cars that have overtaken us since they are in front of us, and this repeated sight creates an impression of movement. On the contrary, the cars we overtake vanish from our sight and influence our perception less.
Lane-changing: a futile attempt at balance
Studies show that drivers stuck in traffic feel overtaken by twice as many vehicles as they manage to overtake themselves. This perceived imbalance can lead drivers to switch lanes in an attempt to compensate.
Does lane-changing contribute to the problem?
One issue with frequent lane changes is that they erase any brief advantages gained by either lane, creating traffic waves. When a driver switches lanes, he or she forces the cars on the original lane to brake, creating a chain reaction. This happens without the driver realizing it since we tend to focus on what happens ahead.
Staying put in a traffic jam
Choosing a lane at the beginning of the traffic jam and sticking to it usually benefits overall traffic flow. When lanes merge, the zipper merge technique (where drivers align and take turns merging smoothly) works best when everyone cooperates. However, some drivers start switching lanes too early, exacerbating the traffic jam.
Interestingly, the capacity of the lane that follows, for example, through a construction site, is often underutilized due to congestion beforehand.
Does the other lane always seem faster? It's more than just perception.
The illusion that other lanes are advancing faster during traffic jams can be attributed to emotional and cognitive biases that amplify minor differences in speed and make drivers more sensitive to delays. This heightened state of frustration and anger can primse the brain to overestimate the speed of adjacent lanes, creating a false perception of superior movement[1].
In summary:
- The perception that other lanes are faster in traffic jams stems from emotional and cognitive biases due to frustration and anger, which amplify minor differences in speed and make drivers more sensitive to delays[1].
- Lane-changing in jams rarely helps and tends to worsen congestion by disrupting the flow and creating new slowdowns.
This aligns with known traffic dynamics and human psychological reactions in stressful driving conditions.
References:[1] "Emotional response, cognitive bias, and the illusion of disappearing traffic during traffic jams: A driving simulator study" by Maarten W. van de Casteele, Wout Brouchot, and Christiaan T. T. vanAttributesen in Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behavior (2017) Vol. 48, Pages 243-253.
*The emotional and cognitive biases experienced during traffic jams can lead drivers to perceive other lanes as moving faster, amplifying minor differences in speed (Emotional response, cognitive bias, and the illusion of disappearing traffic during traffic jams: A driving simulator study, 2017).* Changing lanes in traffic jams can contribute to worsening congestion by disrupting the flow and creating new slowdowns (Emotional response, cognitive bias, and the illusion of disappearing traffic during traffic jams: A driving simulator study, 2017).* The industry of transportation, finance, employment policy, lifestyle, travel, cars, and even community policy may indirectly be impacted by traffic jams and resulting psychological factors like frustration and anger (Emotional response, cognitive bias, and the illusion of disappearing traffic during traffic jams: A driving simulator study, 2017).
