After a certain point, traffic on a road is inevitable.
The smooth flow of cars requires sufficient available space between cars, or slack, in the system. As more cars drive on the roads, the available space decreases, increasing the chances any one car will need to slow down or stop. Ripple effects of other cars reacting to car #1 lead to delays.
Roads themselves have a maximum capacity, a theoretical limit of cars that can be smoothly accommodated. This capacity depends on:
- Road Design
- Infrastructure
- Driver behaviour
Good road design creates available space, and good infrastructure reduces the number of cars on the road. Good driver behaviour maintains space, considers their role, creates slack.
Next time you drive, consider the road as a recipe for good living. Whether you're stuck in traffic, or on a road trip:
"We take a road trip it's not just like we're going nowhere we're going somewhere hopefully trying to get more out of where we're going and be more of ourselves when we get back." - Matthew McConaughey