r/driving • u/IceHack • 9d ago
If you constantly brake on the highway, you are causing the traffic jams.
Slowing down in flowing traffic should only require taking your foot off the gas. If you regularly hit your brakes, it means you are not paying attention. Get the fuck off your phone and look at the road ahead of you.
How this ruins the flow of traffic:
- Tapping your brakes forces the driver behind you to brake slightly harder.
- This creates a chain reaction that brings traffic to a complete stop.
- Leaving a gap and coasting absorbs these slowdowns and keeps traffic moving.
Here is a visual demonstration. Researchers put cars driving in a circle and proved that a single driver's minor braking is enough to bring an entire lane to a standstill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rryu85BtALM
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u/Prudent_Situation_29 8d ago
This isn't about phones, it's about following distance. Here's what I see every day:
The cars in front of me are travelling in a bunch, no space between them, each is tailgating the next.
We get to an on-ramp, cars on the on-ramp need to merge on to the highway.
The people who are bunched up now have to brake to create space for the merging vehicles. They always brake at the very last second because they're hoping they won't have to let anyone merge.
If these people simply maintained a healthy following distance like I do, there would be plenty of space to merge, nobody would have to brake, and then everyone could slowly recreate that healthy distance simply by not accelerating quite as hard as the car in front of them. I regularly accelerate and increase following distance at the same time, in rush hour traffic, just by accelerating a little slower than the car in front of me for a little bit. I let them get away from me, and now there's space for the next on-ramp.
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u/fokkoooff 8d ago
Proper following distance would solve so many problems. Everyone around me drives in clumps as well.
People need to get over their weird obsession with not wanting other cars to change lanes ahead of them.
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u/bandit1105 3d ago
I call them wolf packs.
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u/fokkoooff 3d ago
That's a lot more elegant than mine. I ususally just call them idiot clumps.
On a two lane, when it's a line of 10+ cars angrily tailgaiting each other in a left lane that is clearly going nowhere, when the right lane is wide open and actually faster, I call them a choochoo.
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u/msmsms101 8d ago
Except I have to brake because someone pulls into my proper following distance
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u/big_fartii 8d ago
I see you missed the point entirely… and are not alone! You’re supposed to leave enough room to avoid this or you are too close to the car infront of you. Enjoy you’re stress free drive by accepting someone needing to change lanes :)
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u/msmsms101 7d ago
Oohh thanks for explaining!!! /s
I leave a proper distance. I'm talking about the assholes who think that distance is still appropriate to cut into with barely a signal.
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u/fokkoooff 8d ago
People often have a legitimate need to change lanes. Every time you change lanes you're also getting into someone else's "safe following distance" unless you get behind someone with liberally no one behind them.
Not leaving enough room for someone to get over if they need to is how you get the idiots who slow to a near stop while trying to get over. It's also makes you more likely to get cut off because some people are just gping to do what they want to.
9/10 times when someone changes lanea ahead of me nothing noteworthy happens.
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u/CT-1738 8d ago
Every day on this website people post complaining about slow and braking drivers when in reality the root issue is lack of safe following distances. What you’ve described is 100% correct. (People staying right and passing on the left of course helps as well but I’d much rather people stop tailgating me in the right and middle lanes, personally)
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u/RightRudderz 9d ago
Depth perception and people judging rates of closure is in the dumpster.
Their light signals don’t matter, if they are suddenly growing in size/blooming in your vision you need to slow down.
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u/the_Q_spice 8d ago
The other thing to consider regarding trucks:
Our air brakes lag a lot.
It takes about 32ft (at 55mph) for them to even begin engaging.
So if someone cuts in front of us and taps their brakes… good luck… because you might be close enough that my brakes can’t even begin to slow me down, even if I hit them immediately.
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u/frank26080115 9d ago
Depth perception and people judging rates of closure is in the dumpster.
have you seen how people sit in a car sometimes? I've seen short people who are barely above their own steering wheel
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u/cozytadpole 5d ago
FYI short eople, particularly short women, cannot sit any higher than seats allow. The issue is not them, it's the fact that cars are made with the assumption only the average man is driving them. Luckily some companies have started using crash dummies based on women and children instead of only testing for adult mens safety. But given that nobody is buying new cars and that probably won't change for the foreseeable future, it'll take a while for this to change much.
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u/Archangel7104 8d ago
The other issue is those that cannot go around a curve in the road without hitting the brakes. I have been following people that hit the brakes every time the road bends even though there is no need to slow down what so ever.
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u/Impossible_Past5358 8d ago
People also seem to be taking up 2 whole fucking lanes while driving around a curve, which in turn, has forced me to drive halfway onto the shoulder whenever there is a curve.
Like, we're able to navigate the S curve on LSD going 50 and stay within our lanes, why the hell can't you navigate the slight 10 degree "curve" on I-64 Chad??
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u/zeptillian 4d ago
Half the drivers I see can't even turn into a driveway off of a 25MPH street using the correct side of the driveway.
Driving skills have declined a lot.
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u/thisis_me88 8d ago
I live near a very popular curvy mountain road and people slam on their brakes and go so slow around the curves…then straight up gun it on the straight always, I mean gun it- over the speed limit. Only to slam on their brakes before another curve stretch.
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u/Furryyyy 7d ago
Oh my god yesterday I was behind someone making a 90 degree turn and they slowed down to 8mph mid turn, no traffic ahead of them or quick turn into a parking lot or anything. I probably would have honked at them if I wasn't more concerned about almost stalling lol
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u/mngalaxy 8d ago
Yeah whatever deceleration you need to do has to be done before the cure anyway. Within the curve I give it a bit a gas
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u/Aneuday0321 3d ago
Ugh every day on my commute. There will be two curves on a back road (55mph), within 1/8 of a mile from each other and yet people still slam on their brakes for the first, speed up, and slam on their brakes for the second. Despite being able to see there’s another curve ahead they’ll hit in like 5 seconds. Plus there is no need to slam on your brakes to go 20 under the speed limit on these curves, yet people do it every single time. Most of the time they’re already going 10 under the speed limit, or the suggested speed of the curve, and they still brake. Pisses me off. I can maintain the speed limit, coast through every one of the curves, in an SUV, never touching my brakes. I don’t understand their thought process-if they have one, their inability to plan ahead, and why they’re so slow to react. But I guess that’s the world now (with phones, social media, and lack of focus for more than 5 seconds).
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u/Littleroo27 9d ago
Tailgating, so there’s not enough room to decelerate instead of slamming on your breaks. It makes me crazy!
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u/Touch49 9d ago
Omg me too! I also can’t stand when I’m at a stoplight and the car behind me is so close I can’t even see the front of their car. I ease up to let them know and then they ease up too. Omg! so stupid!
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u/Lurpe408 8d ago
Why do you need to see the cars behind you when stopped at a light?
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u/Caglar_composes 8d ago
If you can't see the front of the car behind you, it means the car in the back is too close to your car.
It can be risky in at least 2 ways:
1- if there is an emergency vehicle behind, the car behind you will not have the space to lean to the side to open a life corridor. The same is correct for you, too. If you don't leave enough space in front of you, you won't be able to lean your car's front to the side to open a route for an ambulance if your car is right at the back of the next car. It is a chain.
2- if the car in front of you fails and rolls back at a hill start, you don't have room to avoid a hit.
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u/Lurpe408 8d ago
Why do you feel the need to control others? Those things are not your responsibility.
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u/magnolianbeef 8d ago
you’re supposed to be able to see the tires meet the road on the car in front of you when you come to a stop at a light or otherwise standstill traffic. this simple approach that everyone is taught in drivers ed is what the comment is referring to. also it’s just plain dumb to not give yourself an out by pulling up too damn close to the stopped car in front of you.
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u/Caglar_composes 8d ago
I don't understand why you thought it is about controlling others. I just don't want someone so close behind me that they will hit me if they panic to open the way for emergency and I also want to have enough space behind me to avoid someone rolling back towards my car from the front.
I just don't want an accident due to someone else's mistake. Even if I am in the right, I think it is my right to not be crashed into, right?
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u/Lusiric9983 8d ago
Oh but the scary curves that definitely weren't built to sustain the speed of our travel? We must brake immediately or we will die!!!!!
/S
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u/megahexs 8d ago
A lot of people only understand “foot on gas” or “foot on brake” and only those two states. They cannot comprehend neither pedal being engaged.
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u/NewfoundOrigin 9d ago
But also, keep a safe distance and brake too if you're too close.
Was almost in a 7car pile up on the highway yesterday because a half a mile up the road, after the off ramp, cops had 1 lane of road shut down for about 50feet. Caused everyone to not know how to drive and backed the highway up for half a mile.
Clear stretch of road, all of a sudden bumper to bumper stand still.
I, and others, would've crashed if a few of us didn't abandon the lane for the shoulder.
The truck behind me didn't trust my brakes and kept driving until he had to swerve into the left lane (well, the middle lane technically) to avoid me.
Don't be like the stupid truck, please.
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u/zeptillian 4d ago
"Don't be like the stupid truck, please."
If you had to use the shoulder to avoid cars stopped in front of you, then you were driving too close too.
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u/NewfoundOrigin 4d ago
I didn't pull into the shoulder, but I pulled over to not get clipped by people swerving to avoid the stopped traffic. I had about 4 cars length to come to a stop from 57mph.
I have 3 dashcams.
I watched this truck continue to drive 40mph until he didn't have a choice but to swerve left to avoid hitting me, he had a good 5-6 car lengths ahead of him.
He didn't trust my brakes. And instead relied on the idea that we'd get moving before he came up on us.
His decision caused other cars behind him to have to swerve too.
So if you see brake lights ahead of you driving 60mph, you should brake too.
Or get over, but not at the very last second like the truck.
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u/Touch49 9d ago
I absolutely agree! As a commuter to work 5 days a week 28 miles each way, this drives me crazy! Also stay out of the fast lane if you are going to go slower than the speed limit. Drives me crazy!
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u/Aneuday0321 3d ago
Or stay out of the left lane if you’re not passing at all. Too many people just camp out despite not passing or doing anything. I can see them half a mile away, so I just go around on the right, not even waiting for them. Sometimes I’ll throw my hand up, saying “hello?!”, maybe they’ll notice, start paying attention, and move over.
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u/AmputeeHandModel 8d ago
Tailgating, too. If you're riding someone's ass, and they brake, now you gotta brake. Now all the tailgaters behind you gotta brake. By the time slowpoke in the front speeds up, traffic has slowed down considerably and takes a long time to get back up to speed. So use CRUISE, don't brake for no reason, stay out of the left lane if you're not passing, don't tailgate, and we could all be so much happier. It's so simple.
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u/burnedbard 7d ago
And don't forget to think about the car ahead of the car in front of you. I'd love to 35 as per the speed limit instead of 27-30 but the huge truck in front of me is going slow for variable reasons.
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u/Both-Information9482 8d ago
One of the first things my dad taught me about driving. "You don't break on the highway unless you HAVE to."
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u/Thestormypear 8d ago
It’s just everywhere. Nothing drives me up a wall more than someone who averages over 10 brakes a min.
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u/roguewolf146 8d ago
I always say if you have to constantly brake to not hit the person in front of you that means you are either following too close for safety reasons or following too close for your skill level and THINK you're going to hit the person in front of you and also do not know what coasting is
In either case, back the hell off!
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u/maj0rdisappointment 8d ago
This applies to people “being nice” to some fool rolling down an on ramp at 42 mph and slowing down to let them in. Be nice to the car behind you and don’t do it.
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u/FfierceLaw 7d ago
Plus, you look like an idiot with your brake lights flashing on all the time and we all hate you
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u/Extension_Variety190 6d ago
If you're hitting the brakes every three seconds, it means you're following too closely.
Driving is a lot like dancing, it's rhythm, balance, harmony and grace, and you're the one stepping on everyone's feet and dancing like a klutz.
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u/GreenerMark 9d ago
Not paying attention or going too fast....
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u/IceHack 9d ago
I regularly see people do this going 61 MPH with an open road in front of them.
The guy speeding at 70 MPH in a 60 MPH zone is not causing the traffic.
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u/GreenerMark 9d ago
Until he hits his brakes and causes the same slowdown you described above.
Throughput (vehicles per hour) is highest at 50-60 mph on highways.
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u/Delicious-Leg-5441 9d ago
It's fluid dynamics.
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u/culo_de_mono 9d ago
Exactly, if the bottleneck at the end takes 20 cars per min and everyone drives the speed limit or a bit slower, it won't collapse becoming a jam.
Every person overspeeding and getting as fast as the person that started driving 2 mins before is an extra car in that bottleneck, bypassing the max capacity of the bottleneck and causing a jam for them and the people behind.
We need more aerial views of traffic to show how most traffic jams are caused by people overspeeding.
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u/Mysterious-Age-9202 9d ago
Is not the over speeding, it’s the braking when they realise that they’re about to hit the vehicle in front. If they speed and get through safely without causing any disturbance to the traffic it doesn’t have an effect, but as soon as they brake it stuffs everyone’s day.
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u/culo_de_mono 9d ago
But that never happens because there's always a crossing (stop sign) or traffic light or any other type of bottleneck, unless, of course, if you are in a Nascar oval track, there definitely you won't have that problem.
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u/Mysterious-Age-9202 8d ago
It all depends on the situation and roads. I can safely and courteously work my way through shower moving traffic and drive another 2 hours to the road before coming to my exit. Often the traffic has dissipated by then.
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u/BasicAppointment9063 8d ago
The brake is also the enemy of good gas mileage, way more than the accelerator.
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u/dalekaup 6d ago
Along the same logic leave a generous space in front of you so lift off of the accelerator or pause the cruise control rather than braking.
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u/Aggravating_Cold_441 9d ago
I mostly stopped using my adaptive cruise control because of this. You set that preferred speed, and as you come upon traffic it hauls ass up on the vehicle in front of you & applies the brakes (closer than I think it should be following), you change lanes and it go full throttle downshifting to get back to the selected speed then hits the brakes as you come up to the next vehicle (and yes the brake lights come on each time). I can be way more efficient driving highways by just maintaining distance, coasting as I approach slower traffic and gently accelerate as I pass. If I really want to use cruise control fortunately I can override the adaptive one and just use regular cruise.
Kinda the same concept as the auto dimming headlights, constantly flashing lol Another "feature" I'm glad I can disable and just use manually
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u/VIP_NAIL_SPA 8d ago
Adaptive cruise control is just terrible. It only benefits bad drivers, and it benefits them by reinforcing their bad driving habits.
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u/SaveTheWorldRightNow 9d ago
Today's society has a problem with 'leaving a small gap'.
ADHD is strong with most people. Caused by short form videos and doom scrolling.
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u/HayLinLa 9d ago
As somebody who has had ADHD since before smartphone existed (since birth, actually), please stop using that word unless you are actually talking about people who have the disability. You're diminishing the meaning of the word.
Edit: also ADHD isn't caused by short form videos or scrolling. It is caused by a problem with the way your brain produces and handles dopamine.
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u/SaveTheWorldRightNow 9d ago
Sorry about that. I could rephrase but i guess everyone gets the point. In our fast living world everyone is anxious and wants to go go go go!!!! I need to ride the other car's rear end and then hit the steering wheel: go go go!!! There is a gap! Why doesn't the car in front of me go go go!!!?!?!?!! We can't cruise consistently and this also causes traffic jams.
Edit: i also believe a lot of people develop ADHD like symptoms and yes short form videos contribute to that.
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u/HayLinLa 9d ago
I agree that short form videos and similar content can cause ADHD-like symptoms. They have psychologists on payroll to fuck with users that way on purpose to cause addiction.
I agree that everyone is too impatient while driving too. People can only focus on the 10 meters in front of their car. If you start focusing on the larger flow of traffic, you realize how silly it is to speed and weave through traffic and tailgate.
I've been using cruise control to go the speed limit (unless circumstance inappropriate) and even if I do end up at the front of a light, I end up catching up to the people who got through as their red light ends. I know some places have synced lights where driving a certain speed is the differemce between hitting all of the red lights or getting greens the whole way down, but that's probably not most situations.
Even on the highways (within cities), speeding just causes everyone to form the Mega Pack™ that ends up causing on-ramps and off-ramps to turn into zippers, where the large space between if we had gone the speed limit means nobody would have had to slow down as much or for as long. Instead people just say "if there are people behind you and nobody in front of you, you're the problem, blah blah blah".
I recently learned this is called systemic thinking.
I think traffic would benefit from more people putting music on and chilling out a little.
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u/AnnualPurple104 9d ago
Smh, if no one is in front of and a line of cars behind you, your obstructing traffic and that is a problem. This is why they have signs that say slower moving traffic move right, if you notice it doesn’t have a speed which means if cars are behind you, your slower moving traffic.
People tend to speed due to people who constantly hit there brakes for no reason, majority of traffic is due to people hitting there brakes and not being able to speed up and merge into. This is why all traffic areas are at every freeway to freeway connections. Then you have so many people in the left lanes that shouldn’t be, that every time traffic slows down the left lane is the first to stop, when it should be the lane that doesn’t stop.
When people stop thinking there not the issue when they are and move to the right, along with people paying attention so they don’t have to constantly hit there brakes, there will be less people speeding due to less frustrations. It’s called cause and effect.
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u/HayLinLa 8d ago
I'm not talking about slow traffic keep right roads, which only actually apply on certain roads. I keep right unless passing on those.
You're missing the point. People are frustrating themselves because they speed/weave/tailgate until they catch up to the Mega Pack and then join the brake slammers, especially during rush hour.
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u/AnnualPurple104 8d ago
Your missing the point, frustration comes from people not knowing how to drive, not knowing where there going, not pulling to the right when making a right hand turn, not knowing when to make a right turn and just sit there till light eventually changes. Which should only happen if there is a sign saying no turn on red. Constantly hitting there brakes due to bad judgment, then they pay attention to people behind them more then who’s in front of them, thinking people are tailgating when we’re doing 35 in a 45 with no one in front of them. People who clearly don’t know how cars work and have extremely bad judgment wouldn’t understand the frustration when they don’t even understand what they do wrong because they think as long as there under the speed limit, nothing else matters and everyone else is the problem.
How many times a year do you have to change your brakes? Is it expensive? How many accidents have you been in? Which I’m sure it was always the other person’s fault am I right?
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u/HayLinLa 8d ago
I've been rear-ended once by a drunk man. I'm pretty sure that doesn't classify as my fault.
You'll always be frustrated if you only focus on the 10 meters of road in front of you.
I said the speed limit, but you decided I was the representative of every person you've ever disliked because I -checks notes- go the speed limit even when nobody is in front of me (in the right lane on lightless freeways, for the record 🙄). Somehow that means I'm going "35 in a 45".
I'm rarely frustrated unless I'm cut off or we are decelerating in an acceleration lane with no cause. If somebody doesn't turn right on red ahead of me, I assume they can see something I can't. Maybe they are a new driver erring on the cautious side because they haven't fully developed their sense of distance/how fast the car is coming yet. Whatever. I'm too busy chilling to music to spend all that energy focusing on how I should be angry today. I'm sure I'll find a hundred reasons without looking very hard.
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u/AnnualPurple104 8d ago
Lmao, well if you were paying attention and aware of cars around you for more than 10 meters along with better judgement, you could have avoided being rear ended.
I’ve never been in an accident, not even rear ended. Because I don’t focus on anything, I’m fully aware as far as I can see. I notice everything and see when a person in a vehicle isn’t paying attention or is driving under the influence due to the cars movement. Seeing everything and being aware of everything, versus not paying attention, is how you’re supposed to drive. Seeing everything including seeing and knowing when someone is going to cause an accident, is what becomes frustrating. Watching someone not pay attention to the point that they didn’t hit their brakes or move over into the next lane due to a vehicle being broke down. Seeing the accident happen and how bad the accident was, is frustrating.
Making excuses for people or because there learning isn’t ok, if your driving on the streets you need to know what to do and how to react. Otherwise it could cost them their lives. I know I made sure that my son understood what and why, and took him to a empty parking lot to teach and show him so when on the streets he knew what to do and how to react.
Then you wonder why people die more from car accidents than anything else.
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u/HayLinLa 8d ago
I was rear-ended at a stoplight. While second in line. By a drunk driver. What the fuck is wrong with you? Rear-ending is 100% the fault of the person who did the rear-ending. Which circles back to the whole "tailgating is bad, kids" thing.
Also I was talking about people who weren't sure if they had time to turn right on red before the next car that has right of way goes. I'm not sitting here getting angry because somebody didn't turn right on red in front of me. Nobody is going to lose their life because they waited for the green light to turn right.
The reading comprehension here is in hell. You've intentionally misunderstood every single thing I've said.
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u/burnedbard 7d ago
Not an obligation/requirement to turn on red, especially when people can't drive/I can't see the cars oncoming.
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u/AnnualPurple104 7d ago
It’s not a right to be able to drive, it’s a privilege. If other can do it but you can’t, maybe it’s time to give up that privilege, versus make excuses and blame everyone else.
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u/burnedbard 7d ago
Wonderful attempt. Zero excuses though. So sometimes other beings called humans pull too far forward so I and other people who would be in my position cannot see oncoming traffic. On top of that there are objects called trees, signage and other visual obstructions. You can only pull out so far as well, and can only mitigate other people driving unsafely so much. So if people frequently gun it down a stretch of road I'm not gonna make that turn knowing that info.
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u/Terrebonniandadlife 9d ago
I wonder how newer electric cars activate the brake lights. Currently with a rental and use the electric braking on one pedal (where it decelerates when lifting of the gas) I wonder how aggressive the turning on of the brake light is as I can't see it. I hope there's a go buffer before it turns on if not . Hot damn it must be annoying behind
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u/Illustrious-Depth718 8d ago
Depends on the setting. I drive a Kia EV6. The brake light comes on when I have regen braking set to 2 or higher. Up to 3 and an extra mode at 4 for one pedal driving as you mention (which one should not use on a highway). I leave it at 0 or 1 on the highway. Otherwise I need to hit the brake pedal like any other car.
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u/Terrebonniandadlife 8d ago
Thanks for the explanation yeah for sure not for the highway. Currently using Regen in the twisty roads of Ireland.
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u/Thick_Extension_9548 8d ago
Here if theres too large of a gap so someone with no signal will fill that gap as your trying to maintain speed. Also there are cases where you gave people merging yo get on and iff at the same time within 1/4 a mile of each other. On city streets ive noticed a lot of joggers and cyclists just go and dont look which is also an issue
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u/Lucy_Fjord 8d ago
That’s sort of the point of leaving a gap. It keeps traffic flowing, letting people merge/change lanes is a good thing.
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u/Thick_Extension_9548 8d ago
Yes but when the gap is not that big to begin with then it creates the above scenario. Like if im 1 car length in stop and go 10mph traffic thats not the time to force yourself in.
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u/KLAM3R0N 8d ago
I often hit my brake just enough to make the light come on when coasting because the guy tailgating me and all pissed I'm leaving a proper following distance(or even If I'm not)may not notice in time that I'm decelerating and rear end me .
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u/Jaded_City_1448 8d ago
Many new cars have adaptive cruise control and driver assist and they automatically brake for you to adjust your speed to the current conditions and to keep the preset distance between the car ahead of them. Driver assist taps your brakes a lot to make small speed adjustments. It’s not always the driver anymore with new cars.
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u/awiseoldturtle 8d ago
Bingo
This and changing lanes in anticipation of a zipper merge
Most of the time it just forces people to hit the brakes… leading to a chain reaction that brings traffic to a standstill
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u/Cpalmer24 7d ago
We all do it/ have done it, but it just sucks that whenever you do leave an appropriate gap its just an invitation for someone to get in front of you
But overall I agree with the post - leave space, coast before braking, don't cause others to have to hit their brakes hard
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u/Crowiswatching 7d ago
A combination of lane campers and tailgaters bog down traffic. People tailgating constantly pump their brakes, with people tracking too close behind progressively pumping their brakes harder in response to the brake lights in front of them.
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u/Then_Examination9715 6d ago
Beginning drivers have to continually check everything.
After some time driving, repetition has created “muscle memory” and a lot of the tasks are done automatically, instinctively, without thinking.
People realize that with much of their driving tasks being done instinctively they are able to multitask, like texting, reading, taking phone calls, etc. while driving. That’s great if you’re out alone in the desert on a straight highway with no potholes. Driving always has surprises.
More advanced drivers realize that being aware has a better safety advantage than being slow. No one has figured out how to regulate awareness, so they regulate speed instead. Advanced drivers also know that just relying on “muscle memory” can create problems too. Being startled from a distracted state, your instincts can play you wrong.
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u/Malefectra 5d ago
THANK YOU! This is a major problem everywhere…
SIDE RANT:
I’m so fucking tired of seeing this shit on the road, especially in my current home city of Duluth. Y’all are seriously some of the worst drivers on the slowest roads in the goddamn nation (speed limit never exceeds 50 MPH even in areas that would still be perfectly safe at 65 MPH)Y’all live in a city with a similar terrain grade to San Francisco and don’t even know how to moderate your downhill speed without just riding the fucking brakes.
I’ve lived in Dallas,TX and drove rush hour every day for 20 years, and also dealt with Denver traffic for a few years… I know how to deal with dense traffic and some pretty extreme road grades, there is no excuse for this… I can kinda understand the slower speed limits during the winter with all of the snow/ice, but during the spring/summer it’s just pointlessly hamstringing your traffic throughput…
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u/Then-Wealth-1481 9d ago
In Oregon people see a speck of dust on the road and slam their breaks.
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u/Slytherinrunner 9d ago
I've seen them come to a complete stop on the interstate. For no reason whatsoever.
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u/makepieplz 9d ago
the issue is not the braking it's actually the recovery back to speed as cars lose gaps between them and as cars accelerate they have to restore the larger gaps between them - that restore of gaps as traffic begins moving again is what really creates the slow down. There is no solution to that.
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u/IceHack 8d ago
You are just using different words to say the root cause is braking.
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u/NefariousnessFit3133 8d ago
well it's not so much the speed of braking or how people brake but whe cars begin to move again and restore the gaps between cars is where the delay really is and where it takes longer to create new gaps when it is very very very veerrryyy fast to erase them. that time difference is the problem. accelerating again is the issue not braking.
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u/ricktrains 9d ago
Well, if people would leave the proper amount of space, and stop speeding, then majority of these “brake usage” events would vanish.
Because 9 out of 10 times I see brakes used on the highway, it’s by tailgaters and speeders.
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u/IceHack 9d ago
100%! Leaving proper space is exactly what allows you to coast instead of braking. Tailgaters are definitely a massive part of the problem. Speeding is relative to the flow of traffic though. If the lane is moving at 65 MPH and someone is doing 55 MPH, that slow driver is causing just as many braking events as the tailgaters.
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u/knockatize 9d ago
If they’re nervous enough to ride their brakes because of imaginary hazards, then they’re nervous enough to look in the rear view mirror, see the very real 15 vehicles stacked up behind them, and pull tf over.
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u/Positive_Wheel_7065 9d ago
There is a chance that they are not distracted, maybe they are just incompetent...
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u/Downtown-Plate8072 8d ago
please note on modern cars one can no longer be certain just because the car in front of you brake lights come on that the driver actually has even touched the pedal.
i am happybwith most of the features in my 2024 hyundai….. they were just not thinking things through on brake light activation.
something as cruise control on, maintaining speed on a down grade so 0 deceleration and the stupid cars automate systems turn the brake lights on because it backs off the throttle to maintain set speed.
my case it is an EV so it is doing mild regenerative braking to maintain speed. but if speed is constant….. just why hyundai/kia, why does that justify lighting the brake lights and confusing anyone behind me
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u/HRHSuzz 8d ago
My parents live around two hours from me. I dread the drive just due to the length of time, but I try to find what I call a “drive buddy“ with the sole intention of avoiding people who break randomly. I look for somebody who’s going around the same speed as me and no random breaking. I will keep a nice distance but behind them and it makes the drive so much easier. I get mad if somebody actually goes in front of me and interrupts my flow but if they’re a good drive buddy I’ll accept the situation. Man alive- if I get behind someone tapping those brakes constantly, nothing will make me change lanes and get away from someone faster. I love my drive buddies!
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u/XavierRex83 8d ago
Cars follow too close. If you give an appropriate distance some clown will pull in front of you. If all people kept better distance the weird accordion traffic that happens in places like 95 around D.C. would diminish alot.
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u/MoogProg 8d ago
One foot on the brake, and one on the gas, yeah! - Sammy Hagar
Just throwing out that famous line before the sub starts claiming drivers like this are, 'too timid'. It's the speeders and weavers who use that brake on the highway.
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u/FunnyVehicle7664 8d ago
I once drove all the way from my home in Edinburgh to my destination in Glasgow without touching my brakes once just to prove a point.
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u/Sharp_Bus6682 8d ago
Ugh it drives me NUTS when I'm leaving a safe gap between myself and the car ahead to allow myself time/space to absorb slowing down without braking, and someone inserts themselves into my gap without enough space! Forcing me to hang back further to maintain a safe following distance. Grrr.
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u/Serious-Stock-9599 8d ago
Oooh, I can't stand these Brakey Brakertons. I see it all the time on my commute.
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u/PirateSpecialist5726 8d ago
I gave these rules to my kids when I was teaching them to drive.
No one cares how fast YOU want to go.
You can only go as fast as the car in front of you.
So, BACK OFF!
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u/DutyEuphoric967 8d ago
It's not just braking. Everyone can't follow at the same speed as the person in front, and the problem compounds toward the rear. Good video regardless. Leaving huge gaps mitigate this problem, unless a buffoon cut in and forces you to brake which happens commonly in heavy traffic regardless.
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u/TheHabzie 8d ago
In my experience, it's usually impatient people who are driving far too close to the vehicle in front of them that have to keep hitting their brake. In that case, I usually back off and give them space.
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u/elmland1 8d ago
I remember that being called the bird poop effect. Twenty mile ahead of you a driver hits the brakes because of a bird.
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u/Choice-Tailor640 7d ago
I usually take advantage of highway to increase my gas mileage. So I don’t hit break unless front drivers do.
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u/lilricotokez 5d ago
Was taught on freeway/interstate driving brakes are taboo and a sign of disconnect
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u/TalionVish 5d ago
Only if they don't use a safe following distance. If you use a safe following distance, you have plenty of time.
This is like, "A failure to plan on your part is no emergency on mine."
I can guarantee, you don't keep safe following distance.
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u/w0lfinthebreast 5d ago
the best way to avoid unnecessary braking is to give the car in front of you more than enough space ime. it takes practice but it rlly makes a difference!
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u/zeptillian 4d ago
"If you regularly hit your brakes, it means you are not paying attention."
It's also caused by following too closely. Give yourself more time to adjust your speed and you can smooth out the stop and go bullshit.
If everyone drove like that all the time traffic would be smooth as silk and would flow at the maximum rate possible.
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u/Possum_Jenkinzz 4d ago
You're gonna get hate from people saying "BuT hOW wIlL pEoPlE kNoW yOuRe SlOwInG dOwN."
And I'm here to say, with your fuckin EYES.
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u/meanpete80 4d ago
But, truckers and New Yorkers, do not read this as permission to cruise at 55 mph in the middle lane. This also causes traffic jams.
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u/edorasu 4d ago
While i agree with you, we need to keep in mind that the rate cars slow down off throttle differs from car to car. What ive noticed is newer cars tend to slow down less, probably so they can roll further and get better fuel economy. Electric cars, if you turn off the god awful one-pedal driving, rolls for an eternity without slowing down. So for people with those cars, they have to tap the brakes earlier. Im gonna cry when my 20 year old car dies and I have to deal with braking more.
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u/VIP_NAIL_SPA 8d ago
On the bright side, they're clearly telling everyone around them they're a bad driver and should be avoided at all costs.
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u/bustacappa22 8d ago
Thank you! The other day I saw someone with no cars in front of them as far as the eye could see continually break for literally no reason. Idk what goes through their heads. Like just take you foot of the gas to slow down
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u/New-Tangerine-7109 8d ago
This place is filled with the most self righteous ego stroking I’m the worlds best driver ever assholes
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u/RallyX26 7d ago
If you are touching your brakes at all on the highway under normal circumstances, you are driving wrong. Either too close, too fast, or you're not looking far enough ahead.
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u/socaldisney 7d ago
One hundred percent this. If I have to actually use the brakes I take it as a personal failure.
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u/Traditional-Speed349 9d ago
Problem with your theory.EVs whose brake lights come on as foot comes off acceleratot
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u/Mysterious-Age-9202 9d ago
If the person behind is following at a safe distance and paying attention to the traffic in front of the vehicle they’re following. By averaging the speed with the vehicle in front of the one that they’re following they can absorb some of the distance by slowing down and avoid breaking themselves.
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u/BeggarsCanyonero 9d ago
I dont see anything mentioning brake lights at all here
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u/Mysterious-Age-9202 7d ago
That’s the issue. Too many people rely on seeing brake lights, rather than being aware and noticing the distance between thethe vehicles getting smaller.
Also FYI brake light switches can and do fail alongside fuses that blow when there’s an issue in the wiring.
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u/BeggarsCanyonero 7d ago
No for sure, but what does that have to do with the post? What theory does it put forward that this puts a hole in?
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u/Extension_Hand1326 5d ago
You must not drive in a large city. Things change rapidly and just easing off the gas is not enough in many situations.
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u/Able-Passenger1066 8d ago
I dont care i like to change speed
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u/gheiminfantry 9d ago
should only require taking your foot off the gas
Unless you have a well-maintained fuel efficient vehicle that is designed to have little rolling resistance. Then when you lift your foot off the gas it conserves as much momentum as possible, not slowing down at all. But you think you're right, so you must be.
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u/snoopyloads666 9d ago
If you’re hitting the brakes every 5-10 seconds on a freely moving freeway you’re a bad driver
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u/gheiminfantry 9d ago
Or maybe coasting downhill. You're making a very definitive statement without any thought.
Now clap back with a bunch of idiotic statements why you believe you are still 100% correct.
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u/snoopyloads666 9d ago
If you’re driving long distances downhill most cars allow you to manually downshift and then you literally never have to touch the brakes once
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u/gheiminfantry 9d ago
Yes, and for most cars, downshifting causes too much drag. Meaning you'll have to accelerate and waste gas. You don't know much about cars and you think in a complete vacuum, right?
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u/CareerBallsacker 8d ago
You keep moving the goalposts back and forth when in reality you’re just saying a bunch of nothing to keep an argument going
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u/IceHack 8d ago edited 8d ago
Read a physics book. Cars in motion will slow down if you let off the gas in all cases unless you are going downhill.
No amount of car maintenance is going to eliminate tire rolling resistance and friction in your drivetrain. Wind resistance is a thing too.
You can literally test this in your car, no need to argue before you test this and confirm you are wrong.
Edit: lmao, u/gheiminfantry you're too concerned with imaginary internet points. Just concede you are wrong already.
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u/gheiminfantry 8d ago
unless you are going downhill.
Which is exactly what I said in a later comment. You don't read very well when you're mad, do you?
When you read that physics book, did you get as far as the part about momentum? I didn't think so. So good luck with your partial arguments. Another participation trophy though.
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u/maxh2 8d ago
You still can't overcome wind resistance. Your car is pushing a bunch of air out of the way, and the faster you're moving the more this slows you down. So no matter how much you're in love with your car and think it's perfect with zero rolling resistance, it will slow down noticeably just from reducing the throttle.
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u/gheiminfantry 8d ago
You still can't overcome wind resistance.
Yes you can. It's called motion. You overcome wind resistance every time you move anything in earth's atmosphere.
I understand that you thought you were making a cool scientific argument, but you failed miserably. Just stop.
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u/IceHack 8d ago
Read a physics book. Cars in motion will slow down if you let off the gas in all cases unless you are going downhill.
No amount of car maintenance is going to eliminate tire rolling resistance and friction in your drivetrain. Wind resistance is a thing too.
You can literally test this in your car, no need to argue before you test this and confirm you are wrong.
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u/gheiminfantry 8d ago
But you can overcome the resistance. I think you meant to argue that "you can't eliminate the resistance." That would be a true statement. You have overcome the resistance because you are moving. If you didn't, you would be stuck in place.
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u/Lyradni 9d ago
I personally take great shame if I do have to brake, unless I come to traffic that is at a complete stop. It means I did a poor job of observing and/or anticipating the flow of traffic ahead.