Which Is Faster: Weaving in Traffic or Staying in One Lane? | MythBusters
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2014
- The MythBusters test an old traffic myth that has affected us all. Does weaving in and out of lanes get one to their destination any quicker? | For more MythBusters, visit dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/myt...
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I'm "that guy". Driving in heavy traffic, I'll pick my lane, stay in it, and drive as close to the average speed of traffic as possible - leaving a nice big gap in front of me. The difference in drive time was so small I was never able to accurately measure it; meanwhile, I was calmer, less stressed, and my fuel efficiency shot up.
100% this! For me that lane is usually second from the right. Heck I'll even chill behind a semi for awhile. Cruising saves a TON on gas and I tend to get to my destination at around the same time anyway (sometimes earlier).
I live in a densely populated city though so maybe that won't work for everyone.
And I bet you have less accidents and tickets overall as well.
@@Aboutaprincess Eh, I don't like to brag, but...one accident and three speeding tickets in twenty-two years is a reasonable enough record, I suppose :)
@@Werrf1, damn that’s a terrible driving record, but I like people like you because ones I get around you there is lots of open road and I know you will get hit by any idiot before they get to me
@@AD-bb9np you sound like you are the most annoying driver in this comment section
To me the key is knowing what the traffic looks like on your commute. In my commute, I know when the right lane backs up, and then further down the road the two left lanes slow down with the right lane clear. When you know the patterns, you can make calculated, but minimal, lane changes. You get serious diminished returns with increasing your lane changes.
I wish people just stayed in the left lands until they're 3 exits from their exit
Totally agree with that. Randomly doing it doesn’t work - you got to know the flow and stick with your decision if it’s still within the parameters. Typically it’s faster in the inner lane approaching a joining slip, then just before the slip you want the outer (in the UK where undertaking isn’t allowed unless in congestion).
It’s fascinating to stay in lane and pick a couple vehicles to keep up with. It can be a few miles but typically see them again.
If the heavy traffic is a random event like an accident, it can be hard to judge. Until you can fathom which lane is likely closed.
Life is so much easier to go with the flow and stay in lane.
… Just frustrating once you realise your lane went slower (never seeing that truck again) because way up the other lane is closed and pushing-in without doing it in turn.
My biggest bug bear is a local commute using a motorway that joins another. Both are only semi-busy and you end up gaining a lane 2 merge 2 into 3. Often comes to a complete stop yet 1/4 mile later it’s clear. All because people are following way too close and not allowing that merge lane to work in taking turns.
There was a time in my life when my daily commute involved going across the 401 across the entirety of Greater Toronto, the worst stretch of highway on planet Earth. I had the entire pattern of which lane to be in and when stored in my head. My drive time was 1h30 when I first started, 1h20 once I had the pattern established. I learned to never deviate from this regardless of how things appeared to be going.
smart, very smart. I might try that someday.
It might be bad if someone else does does it, but when I do it, it's ok. 🙄
I feel like this is a perfect example of the prisoner's dilemma
Because in any situation, on an individual level, you will always get to your destination faster by weaving.
But as a collective, if everybody weaves, everybody overall will suffer (there is more time when one car is taking up space on two lanes). So everybody "defecting" is the worst overall outcome. Whereas nobody weaving (everybody cooperating) means everybody can zoom by in their singular lanes, resulting in the best overall outcome. Just a guess though
social trap not prisoners dilemma. Prisoners dilemma is between two people.
To me this sounds more like the tragedy of the commons, but a very good point none the less.
@@masonbarber871 agreed totally forgot about tragedy of the commons havent heard that term since microecon
Very true
Yup. When u look at it like this the major traffic causes are merging lane with alot of people getting on or off work. And drivers on wrong lanes, speedwise
We never deserved any of the myth busters it was truly a blessing growing up as a kid watching new episodes Rip Grant 😢
Me too, I feel you my friend
WHAT GRANT IS DEAD!?
@@SpencerOrd same with Tory
Jesse died to
@@SpencerOrd where have you been. It was big news
The thing is, weaving typically is the biggest contributor to cascading failure traffic aka Phantom Traffic Jam. One should choose lane according to the overtake needs, speed limit and traffic conditions (of course), but weaving just to be "the fast guy", just makes it progressively more difficult for everybody, "fast guy" included!
While I agree in general, changing lanes while taking advantage of gaps doesn't affect the flow of traffic.
@@kris8263 Only if you the gap is enough for you to keep the same speed as the car behind. If they have to slow down by 5 or 10 to accomodate you, then it is worse.
@@VitorHugo-hd8bw agreed. That is what I meant.
this myth for me has always applied to HEAVY traffic
like your car is stationary in a traffic jam kinds of traffic, where someone who weaves to the lane that starts moving doesnt actually get an advantage from it
Yep, this is the only time i've been told the myth, when it's stop-start.
@@duck74UK And do you know why it's stop start? A lot comes down to the drivers. If everyone kept gaps (no tailgating) and stopped weaving through the lanes so much the congestion would be dramatically reduced. Sometimes it can't be avoided, like when more people are taking off/on ramps than the throughput the roads can handle but in general, traffic can be reduced so much if people just drove properly and sensibly.
@@CreedBrattonTheOfficegaps form at high speed. Closing the gap at slow speed reduces the need to instantly hit the gas as soon as the lead car starts moving again. If you already left a gap AND were distracted to not notice he has been accelerating for 15 seconds already then your safety gap becomes a chasm and it's means a lot of road isn't being used efficiently bc there is no safety factor to blame.
It's a false myth too. I've busted it all the time. Here's the time tho, you gotta commit. If you don't, you won't advance. The Mythbusters weren't even u. That heavy traffic and they suck at cutting it up. So many chances they could have advanced, but they didn't
@@TheAnantaSesa The problm is the stop start shouldn't happen at all. Search for "The Simple Solution to Traffic" by CGP Grey. It's a 4 min video that perfectly sums up how a lot of congestion (especially on highways) are caused and how they can easily be avoided (by people keeping gaps).
It's been 8 years and I still think about this episode on a regular basis. It taught me that lane weeving is risky, stressful, and not worth it.
I lane weave but solely because I find it fun to do so. I dont even have to watch the video to know that matching traffic's speed while leaving space in front so you can avoid excessive braking is far better.
Well, if you're in a hurry you can gamble it and maybe arrive 20% faster
@@lostskull7467 thats when you include speeding, and not by maybe 10kmh faster, more
I'm a career driver for 25 years and I want to know where the hell you got your math because it's totally wrong and you're a clown
The roadway is not somewhere where you can play Tetris and Frogger put together you're a nut job just learn how to drive and follow the laws that were put there to protect you and me and everyone else and quit thinking that you're smarter than everyone who's been alive for 300 years longer than you setting down the foundation for a civilized society
If you aren’t bad at driving it’s worth it
Grant holding on for his dear life while Kari drives is comedy gold.
He's such a pussi xD
That's just how hard lane-weaving in Cali traffic goes
1:33 Grant looks SO stressed with her driving like a maniac
They should've had 3 drivers... one being short sighted and aggressive like Kari, one being very complacent like Tory, and one being relaxed like Tory *except* when another lane is obviously a better choice for a little while (i.e., dump truck in your original lane going slow), so lane changes are still allowed as long as they're infrequent and not aggressive. I expect the 3rd option would get there pretty much as quickly as Kari, but while being basically as relaxed as Tory.
You would be more right than wrong.
They should have had a "stay in the lane" driver for every lane. Otherwise, you can't tell whether Tory just got lucky and picked a pretty good lane. I would be much more convinced if all drivers got there around the same time regardless of lane.
@@StarryEyed0590that was what their second test did
rest in peace grant. you were a childhood legend of mine
This is a good example of MythBuster's small sample sizes leading to conclusions that you can't be sure of. My guess is if you did this a lot more times and thus getting many different traffic patterns you would get some widely different results.
Exactly. Mythbusters did a terrible job on this "experiment"
They also don't even really acknowledge that constant weaving is more dangerous. Mythbusting on this myth will just encourage people to be a little more reckless, which will add up and cause a few more traffic accidents than there would've been.
If a myth is clearly keeping people more safe, don't question the myth.
@@landkonnudurthey mentioned that multiple times throughout the video and stressed it at be end
@@landkonnudur commenter above me already mentioned that they stress the danger but also "If a myth is clearly keeping people more safe, don't question the myth" is terrible logic, we absolutely should question myths regardless if they're deemed to lead to a positive or negative behaviour the whole point is finding out what is true.
@@themaster9601 You're thinking of this as a myth that the entire human race knows nothing about. That's not what this was, people (if not everyone) know what the answer is. This isn't even a myth in my country because everyone here knows it's not true - I had never heard of this myth before watching this video. From a safety point of view however it's much better if people believe it's true because that will prevent accidents. In my country they instead stress whether you would trade in saving a few minutes for your life. And in addition weaving is illegal.
And I didn't say they didn't acknowledge the danger at all, I said they didn't really acknowledge it - by which I meant they didn't stress the consequences. I could've worded that better, for sure, that's my bad.
Eliminate weaving by keeping the hell out of the left lane unless you are passing.
Listen mate. I drive 10 miles over the speed limit in the fast lane. I can't drive in the other two lanes. People are going too slow. Still, however, I get dumb motherfuckers who weave around me at 15-20 miles an hour.
The actual problem is this . . . no one enforces people to go + or - 5 miles at a speed. That is the system that the government needs to make. If you ever go any more than 5 miles, then a cop should be required to pull you over and they should get an equal amount out of the speeder/slow...er no mater how much over or under the driver went. If they do this, then everyone will be going just about the same speed on the road, and all these accidents from weaving dumbasses will drastically reduce.
Barney The Swagasaur If cars are passing you on the right, then you had an opportunity to move right, and failed to take it. Move the fuck over.
Sadpants McGee Why is a fucking car passing me when I am driving 10 miles over? I'm not the problem!
Barney The Swagasaur Your speed doesn't matter. At least speed racer is only breaking one law by speeding. By blocking the left lane while speeding, you're breaking two. The left lane is for passing (Not including HOV/Carpool), or making upcoming lefts. Period. When I get cut off by the speed demon that's trying to get around your stupid roadblock, that makes it _my_ problem. Now quit breaking the law, get over yourself and move the fuck over.
***** Why do you assume I'm the one weaving through traffic? I just don't want _other_ people doing it on the roads I'm driving on. Meanwhile jackholes like Barney here encourage such behavior because they want to play police roadblock and put everyone around them in danger. There's a reason the autobahn works, and it's because people like Barney aren't allowed on it.
The fastest lane you can only find by experience; from day to day, certain lanes will be consistently faster through one area, while in the next area a different lane will usually be the fastest. Really, just take the smartest route, and don't immediately jump into the next lane because it looks like it's faster. Also, in areas where you can look ahead a good distance, you can see which lane will be fastest in the immediate future.
I realize I'm eight years late to this party, but this is the most salient comment on this video imo. Rather than dealing with absolutes (never change lanes/always change lanes whenever there's an opening), you can optimize your commute by doing exactly what you described. I spent a couple years commuting 25mi one-way across Los Angeles via freeway and learned this lesson through experience. In general, the way to spend the least amount of time in traffic is to be clever about which lane you pick for which section of the drive. It may not be the absolute most expedient way to get from A to B it that's humanly possible in every instance, but it is certainly less stressful, less road rage inducing, and much safer than the alternative of treating driving like a game to be won at the expense of everyone around you.
@@pineapplebaron2308 Appreciate it! I'm just glad I'm no longer having to do long commutes anymore lol. Back when I made that comment I was doing a 30 mile commute one way, and just experience from doing it twice a day, 5 days a week, for about 4 years was what taught me how to read traffic and know to not always jump in the lane that's currently moving fastest. Even though I'm not having to do it every day, it still comes in handy on occasion.
Yeah, I agree with you OP, though this myth is just generalized here in that episode. There are points in certain areas I've lived in that the left lane for some reason clogs up in certain areas, even though it's general knowledge that the left is the fastest lane to be in (just because people going left most of the time need to move to a completely different lane to turn)... Sometimes it's the right which is the fastest in some areas I've lived, which is just weird, but it happens.
Skipping and cutting to the front helps a lot
RIP GRANT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID
The problem with this is, they were following the speed limit. You generally want to weave when you want to exceed the speed limit.
Yes but you also want to hand in your licence if you're exceeding the speed limit.
@@RiKSh4w yeah bruh you should get thrown in prison if you go 3 mph over the limit
And the problem with that is... that you exceed the speed limit...
It isn't NASCAR, you can't bump other cars to drive faster. In traffic as on the video you can only drive over speed limit to catch to the next car which is a very small portion of the ride. Most of the time you are travelling at the speed of traffic of the lane you are in.
@@brandonfisher2765 what part of speed LIMIT do you not understand? It's not a speed suggestion. If you're occasionally going over sure, there are bigger crimes to catch but if you're habitually doing it then no.
I do a combination of both. I will be proactive and look down the road to see if it is worth the lane changes. I always beat constant lane changers with my method.
Trenaway ElDaryl
Same here. But the other thing I do that drastically helps, is not get upset over traffic. Not stressing out makes EVERYTHING better about the drive, getting me to my destination on time and in one piece.
jeaniebird yep, if you just start out your drive planning to drive courteously and knowing there are going to be delays, you end up a lot less stressed out at your destination then the a-hole who weaves in and out of traffic cutting everyone off.
Same. Considered lane changing still depends on luck (unseen lane traffic ahead etc), but it’s generally better than constant changers AND stayers.
Yup. Pick and choose your battles by being extra proactively driving
this video randomly showed up in my feed today, but back when I first saw it. what you said was my first thought. constantly trying to lane change brings diminishing returns and sometimes you have to slow down to make the change. I was surprised they didn't also do a test with that method.
I love when a weaver constantly gets stuck in a slow lane while I pass them by just sticking to one lane. And then I always wave and laugh.
Happened to me a month ago, there was this SUV trying so bad to go faster in heavy traffic, I ended up passing him 7 times in half an hour...
yeah, you just need to invest on a trusted lane
Little did you know that it was a pregnant woman in labor trying to get to the hospital. Lol! She is such a dumb bitch. She deserved to get laughed at.
Moral of the story: you never know why people might be in a hurry, so don't judge.
kubush shut up
kubush yea, sometimes you need to be more open minded, or everytime
Lane weaving is a subtle art. One must be able to read the flow of traffic correctly and avoid excessive, foolish weaving from left to right as soon as one lane seems to move more. It requires careful consideration to the flow and context of traffic. I constantly see people switching lanes as soon as one lane seems to go more than them, only to be stuck now in a slower lane, and switching back.
I like to do the "this lane challenge." it involves picking a lane and staying in it until its time to turn.
as someone who doesn't treat driving as a race or challenge, I can say that 9/10 times i will pass the people all over the road trying to pass everyone. its always mildy amusing, as you know they remeber the back of your car from before and it just bugs them so much to see it again lmao
Depends. Out here in ny everyone likes to “swim” n weave in n out of traffic n let me tell me. These mfs b gone n get to their destination so much faster you’d consider doing what they’re doin😂
Excepppptttt. Weaving helps to keep all the traffic slow.
Sarah So what you’re kinda implying is that rather than slower traffic congesting all lanes, slower traffic should keep right like all the signs say?
Because people who are comfortable going at slightly higher speeds wouldn’t cause problems if everybody else obeyed the law/sign that says “slower traffic keep right”.
There are states that pull you over for a ticket if you don’t pass cars in what they have dubbed the passing lane.
What would be nice is if there were 2 speed limits on highways: High and Low. The Low Speed will be the minimum; or the speed of the right-most lane. The High Speed (somewhere between 5 and 15 above the Slow, depending on highway width, number/angle of turns, location, etc) will be the left-lane speed and a maximum. Lanes between the two will differ but generally be the appropriate scale between the two; if Slow is 75 the next over might choose to go 78.
Local Maple he’s saying that even if it faster for you, it overall slows traffic down for people
@@LocalMaple There are highways with a maximum speed of 75 and a minimum speed of 40.
@@Trainfan1055Janathan and there are freeways in Miami with a speed limit of 55 but people typically go 70-80
It actually clears traffic because it prevents traffic jams. There is no logic to your comment
if everybody 'd stay in their lane as much as possible ( off course some people want to exit or enter) the whole highway would move along faster.
lucas de Jong it would go as slow as the slowest car in each lane........
@@user-os8sq3uh4n YES
@@user-os8sq3uh4n You actually don't understand how traffic jams are caused and it shows. Mythbusters even did an episode on it, maybe go watch it.
@@drake7993 traffic jams are caused by bad drivers. Only bad drivers are afraid to change lanes.
@@AD-bb9np bad drivers are the ones weaving unsafely. There are many ways one can classify how a driver is "bad"
We Love You Grant!! Thanks for being a part of my childhood. Sad to see you leave us this soon
@@laughingocelot2097 not cool dude, too soon
@@backgroundcharacter1071 ??? He passed away a while ago
Grant was a hero of mine as a kid when I watched this show, Rest In Peace mate, you have changed many lives.
Something I think that they should have included was heart monitors to chart their stress levels.
This comes with a cost. More weavers = More crashes.
Skyler Hanson
Bullshit.
and More crashes = More traffic = Slower speeds.
If you are not paying attention on the road
J Shepard they’ll get over and cause a wreck because they’ll try to squeeze the gap
@@jshepard152
If you cant see why weaving is more dangerous than staying in the same lane, you should really think about things, it's not rocket science
Definitely dependant on knowing the streets. sometimes you know on a specific road a LOT of people turn right at specific intersections so going into the left works and then the right lane is clear once you pass them, keeping an eye out for lanes with trucks ahead of you, and other things like that. I do a mix of changing lanes and just staying in place. in completely heavy or stopped traffic it doesnt seem to help as it gets very unpredictable (aside from knowing which lane you need to eventually be in and what lane most people want to be in)
RIP Grant. Truly one of the asset of the show.
First of all, there is weaving and there is recklessly being a jerk. If people are making dangerous lane changes and tailgating that is completely different than me passing you safely because you're going 10 under the speed limit.
And why is weaving faster? Because there are a bunch of morons on the road that don't know how to drive... Move over if the person behind you wants to go faster - it's common sense/courtesy. Why do people assume it's some personal attack if I want to faster than you??
I won't get out of someone's way if it's totally pointless for them to pass me.
@@Top_Weeb who gave you the right to deem whether it's important or not?
If there is no where for them to go besides where I currently am due to traffic.
@@Top_Weeb traffic moves though...
Yeah, but cars have positions relative to eachother....
How many times I've seen the weaving asshat end up at the same light/stopped up traffic line as me ... maybe a car or two ahead? Enough to already know that in heavy, long term traffic, weaving isn't worth it. It only works if it's a short bit you can sneak by i.e. oblivious jackwagon doing fifty in the fast lane.
And how many times does his 15 second lead allow him to beat a red light you would have otherwise had to wait at. Now he has a 1 minute lead. Multiply that by every light that you get stuck at, which is like half of them.
Besides, when has changing lanes suddenly become an asshole thing to do?
Chad Marlan Ahh, so *you're* that guy. Congrats.
iambiggus
And *you're* that guy who drives super slow.
Yeah... I'll take slow over aggressive douche bag any day. Thanks.
iambiggus
I like how you assume lane changing makes you an "aggressive douche bag".
Looks to me like you just aren't good at driving.
2:52 what a clean miata 😍
Thats what im saying. Really rare nowadays
Super clean
I’m disappointed they didn’t do the obligatory cut across 5 lines in 50 ft not to miss the exit.Bad drivers never miss the exit.
For weaving to result in a faster ETA, it's required that you're a good driver. Weaving will work against someone who isn't adept in thinking ahead. Also, there is a time to weave and a time not to weave. In crawling traffic, for example, the chances of you gaining time are much less. Weaving into a clear lane to avoid stopping or slow moving cars and getting out from behind large vehicles at stop lights are when weaving will pay off. The pay off still isn't extraordinary. If you increase your average speed from 60mph to 70mph on a 60 mile trip, you only save 9 minutes.
I don't know man, say that 9 minutes is off your daily commute Mon - Fri to your job of 20 years. That's 60 days of your life (2 whole months) that you just saved.
(9 minutes there and back is 18 minutes a day, 5 days a week is 90 minutes, 4 weeks a month is 360 minutes, 12 months a year is 4,320 minutes, and 20 years is 86,400 minutes. Divide that by 60 minutes to equal an hour and you get 1,440 hours, which when divided by days (24 hours) you get 60 days.)
@@shoezomaku If you have a 60 mile commute in each direction, 5 days per week, then you have bigger problems than saving 9 minutes each way.
@@MattMcConaha I know plenty fo people who live 100+ away from where the work. I live in a small town that is about 110 miles away from city limits for a much larger city. There are people who commute that freeway every day. Even living in that city, it can take 45 minutes to go a few blocks at peak traffic hours.
So "only" 15% faster? That is a pretty large amount of time....
Not really, it's mostly luck. You're not going to see far enough to know if switching is going to be better I'm most cases. The best strategy is to mostly stick to the same lane unless you're passing one specific slow poke.
As a Brit this makes no sense to me. Our slow traffic stays on the left (Right if you're American) and you over take them on the right (left if you're American). It's also illegal to lane hog here so once you overtake you have to pull in to the first lane.
If you picked one lane for your whole journey you'd end up stuck behind the first HGV you found and stay at 56mph till you came off!
Then again I know some older drivers that would do that...
That's how it's supposed to be, but America is a lawless land
It's supposed to work that way in the states, but it never does, we're too selfish here. Much like queueing for a bus or train - Brits form an orderly line and everyone boards in the order they arrived, whereas in the states, we form a mob with everyone trying to get to the front and get on first even though they were later to arrive.
Instead of thinking of it in terms of right and left, Think of it in terms of inner Lane and Outer Lane. Or in terms of Through lanes Versus entrance / exit Lanes
The problem is differing situations. If I'm on a highway through the mountains (or a freeway between cities) I do exactly that and leave a passing lane because there's not much traffic getting on or off so everyone's just trundling along. Inside a city the heavy use of on/offramps mean that the outer lane or two should be used by the vehicles changing roads, and through traffic (people going through the designated area without stopping, I don't know if that's a worldwide term) sticks to the inner lanes to avoid adding to the congestion. In some setups/densities this eliminates the availability of a passing lane. The big difference in times highlights this; 1-4 were in the inner-to-outer lanes and arrive in order with VASTLY different times.
But people try to assign one rule for all driving, and confusion results because what I picture when talking about the "obvious" way to drive isn't necessarily what you picture.
I literally stay in the exact same lane the whole way and I constantly see the same cars taking off ahead of me then a few minutes later I pass them when they are stopped in the other lane.
Where's 981 has entered the chat
You guys should do in town and with traffic lights next time! A weaver can't go very fast if they're waiting at a red light allowing time for the lane-stayer to catch up! I see it in real life all the time!
I was thinking the same, except for the opposite reason; if a weaver makes a light that a non-weaver doesn't (let alone 2), they'll surely arrive sooner.
ben gillespie it works out that way sometimes, but often the person going the speed limit will catch up to the guy who just barley makes the light.
They may beat you on this light, but then you catch up on the next one. I see it all the time.
I don’t think that can be tested reliably. So much relies on luck and uncontrollable variables, such as light timing and what not, that I feel it would be impossible to draw any kind of trend or correlation.
true but it depends on the weaver. you gotta be ready to take yellows and some reds if youre gonna commit
I too lived in Houston for 20 years and spent 3 years of my life commuting. I love living in a small town now. Also, I would be interested to see how much additional gas is used for the weaver.
i actually did this on my own time whenever i drove but i think a major factor would be the familiarity of the road u take and even the acceleration of the car could make a huge difference in that one lane change that could make or break the flow of i weaving through traffic.
RIP Grant we miss u bro
Yeah. That was ridiculous. What a shame.
It also depends on how familiar you are with the roads. for example, I know a tunnel is coming up and people will have to merge from lane 3 to lane 2, so it's better to be in lane 1, but there's a certain point best to do it. in that case it's FOR SURE faster to be flexible.
RIP Grant 🙏
I think weaving slows everybody behind you significantly, although that would probably be harder to test.
it depends if when entering a lane causes the car behind to suddenly slow down to give space (which pisses me off the most)
@@iiiDartsiiiI'd rather let a fast psycho go first than don't budge and potentially let that mf hit me
I am so glad I remembered them testing this myth when I was little. It’s helped me a lot to be a good driver nowadays.
i dont know.. it just depends really.. ive had times where i weaved in an out of traffic and cut a 30 minute drive in half. then theres others where i get stuck behind a slow person and trapped in the lane and it took me over 45 minutes.. too many variables..
If it was just about time, then yes, I agree.
But if you take into account time, stress levels, and fuel usage, too, then sticking to your lane wins out.
If one is not in a hurry, sometimes one can smooth out traffic jams. I remember a time when I was on a freeway that had construction in an area where reducing one lane left just one lane to go in that direction (the other way still had two lanes). A map app showed a near standstill in traffic well into the construction zone, and it was a small area of having a complete stop. But it had persisted for a long time. The traffic wasn't overly dense. So when I entered the construction zone, not only did I follow the posted construction speed limits, but I went a bit below it, knowing people couldn't pass me, and that it would allow more time than average for the traffic to unclog ahead. That's exactly what happened, and I sped up to the construction speed limit after passing that point. I didn't have to go too much below the posted limit, so it wasn't like I was going 10 mph or something. I may have dropped 5-10 mph from what was posted; I don't recall. But soon after I passed that point, the map showed smooth traffic; everything was green (actually, the green suggested to me that I didn't drop the speed too much).
It's possible to use info about bad traffic ahead to smooth out the traffic, and thus allow people to get to their destinations faster. But it takes some intention. It can be done with more lanes, but some people are too eager to pass. They may even speed up, and then they hit the stops harder, and then they make things worse. Sometimes vehicles in multiple lanes have the same approach to smoothing out traffic flow. Sometimes it's intentional. Sometimes, it's because large trucks don't accelerate or stop as quickly.
Traffic jams tend to get really bad when people have to hit their brakes. Others who over-react can make it worse, and eventually it becomes a standstill. By picking a speed close to the traffic's average, after allowing a bit of a gap to form in front of you, things smooth out, and it tends to improve rather quickly. When the sudden stops disappear, then it's just a matter of people gradually speeding up the flow.
Weaving makes more traffic by causing others to break, more people breaking means a traffic snake forms. Also, not weaving is less stressful.
Weaving clears traffic because you don’t have to use brakes as much, also less traffic is less stressful
And doesn't weaving slow down all the other cars that have to brake for you? I can imagine that if you have a 1000 cars that all weave vs 1000 cars that stay on lane, that the lane-stayers will be there much faster.
I think there's a major difference between "weaving," and "changing lanes because your stuck behind someone going 40 in a 60." Some asshat who constantly weaves to shave 0.5 seconds off their travel time is being dangerous and selfish, but there are legitimate times when switching lanes is necessary for speed reasons.
Rest In Peace. Thanks for all your hard work. You’re a delight to watch.
I would be much more interested how this compares in traffic jam situations. Especially as weaving there may have greater impacts on the cars behind you.
In my experience, lane weaving, especially in moderate to heavy traffic is a of little value. However that does not mean that i don't occasionally switch lanes when appropriate. Most of the time the person that is changing lanes constantly only gains a couple of car lengths at most, and sometimes winds up behind me. Meanwhile I drive with a lot less stress. It appears that you ran this test on a freeway (101 ?). I think the stay in your lane is more likely to work well on surface streets.
The was one side to this myth that I've always thought was missed. If EVERYONE stayed in their lane or reduce lane changes by a significant amount, this would help prevent traffic jams and everyone would get there fast. As a group, I suspect, the throughput of traffic would go up.
Ever heard of lane etiquette, hand in your licence, and so should these supposed myth busters.
Exactly. It's just like people who don't know how to merge, or use turn signals.
@@juddy_1997 Seriously, it likes these people never even took drivers ed... Now I see why so many dumb mfs just coast in the passing lane going 20 under...
For me I usually stick to the exit lane right after the off ramp, then weave out of it whenever there's an incoming on ramp, this has worked quite well in where I live, can't say for other area
One thing that works here in the UK in the summer when there's so much traffic you only move about a hundred meters a minute is to take the exits that come but go back onto the motorway with the roundabout, save about 5 minutes every roundabout and there's at least 10 of them every hundred miles.
I don't think they really consider that, given people who switch lanes typically exceed the speed limit until they approach an obstacle while those who stay in their lane will generally avoid doing excess speeds.
Over a life span I'll take the less stress of picking a lane and just driving to good music.
Best comment!
That’s not really how you’re supposed to drive.
RIP GRANT, nobody wants to go but a brain aneurysm in your sleep is probably the best way to go when its your time. thanks for all the fun you guys gave me. i started watching the show when it started and then you guys got introduced to do the side myths and it was always like two shows in one.
I got passed/passed so many times by the same weavers on my way north through Delaware on 1/13/113. They got ahead after hours of work, but unsubstantially and I was a lot more chilled.
Weaving will get you there faster if you get there. Since it's not as safe, there's a chance you don't get there.
The key is weaving at the right times. You need to be able to judge whether or not the lane you’re moving to has the momentum and if that momentum is gonna carry on. Sometimes the faster lane will be what’s the slower lane atm
In heavy traffic, those that stayed in their lane advanced. In light traffic, those that changed lanes were able to catch up. They performed a flawed test. The question on changing lanes is for traffic jams, not for just cruising in light traffic.
This is very well-edited!
I also find it odd that the cars finished in sequential order
time is an illusion
just relax and stick to a lane
I'm telling this to my boss, I hope you'll hire me.
Only not the left lane unless you're passing.
No it is not!
Not when your on the left lane with and someone is going speed limit on the highway,they the real crime. Because now me and the right lane (slow lane) ,now you has to deal with a speeder honking at u when you got right blinker on,and he tailgating you on a cruve FML...
I grew up watching this show… I’m grateful I get to watch it now as an adult many years later ☮️
The missing consideration here is how the weaver actually changes driving behaviour for those who were holding up the entire line by making them go faster to try and keep the weaver from passing … this unclogs the line temporarily which lasts until the weaver is far enough ahead that the slow driver goes back to holding up the whole lane again.
There's a difference between staying in one lane, weaving, and switching between empty lanes normally. If you're switching between lanes in a safe manner, you'll reach the destination at near the same time as someone who is dangerously weaving in and out of traffic. I think that's the most important bit
My opinion is that the weaving works especially when you know the traffic pattern of the segment of the highway (e.g. this is your daily commute route), and you know which lane tends to have less traffic. As evident from the last experiment, there is a significant difference between different lanes. I think during this experiment, the weaver got lucky because most weavers tend to use the left lanes, and the left lanes were the fastest in that particular segment of the highway, but that's not always the case. If that highway happens to have less traffic in the right lanes and you are just randomly weaving, the advantage might be minimal or even make you slower.
Man. I was in high school during the height of this show. Brings me a lot of great memories. RIP Grant.
Was that 'traffic' to me that was an open road
What's the cost to the general public? What's the cost of accidents and stress on the public? The extra fuel (and technically extra distance) expended? What about moderate lane changing?
Grant. You will be missed. Thank you for inspiring me into science.
The man in that small mitsubishi mirage is holding on to his dear life
Not the greatest example because the weaver is not allowed to gun it above speed limit when they find a big gap, which is unrealistic. On the highway the actual average mph is 70-80. NOBODY goes 55 mph, not even cops.
Rip Grant
They really need someone who is actually good at weaving through traffic.
Yeah, not everyone could do it. It is a dangerous maneuver, that should be done carefully if at all.
If by good you man being an asshole that cuts people off, increases the chances of having an accident and everybody hates.
RIP Grant. I remember this episode. This was a great show
Amazing. I remember watching this on TV as a school kid.
RIP Grant.
Weaving will get you to destination faster by few minutes or never get to the destination if accident happens.. Lolx..
I've employed both methods of commuting over a long period of time, and my findings are similar to those presented here. As I've gotten older, I find that the added stress just isn't worth it. I simply leave myself ample time to get to my destination, drive hyper defensively, and don't sweat the drive (much).
Thanks i needed the confirmation. I am gonaa start weaving from now on
Not only unsafe also very annoying for anyone around you. Don't take this video as advice
Bart Van Riel the video clearly advises against it. Just because the myth was busted doesn't mean they want you to weave around.
What isn't mentioned here is that bad lane changing is the cause of most of the heavy traffic jams on the roads.
They did mention that it would "barely" make a difference but you know people are gonna continue doing it just to get somewhere 30 seconds sooner.
Get Schwifty Uh no. Accidents and commuter traffic hours is the biggest reason for traffic.
kubush Those accidents can be caused by bad lane changes. And with alot of commuters, a couple can make bad lane changes and cause traffic too
Is it just me or did they fail on the math at the end results (@3:54)
The actual percentages would be: 4% 5% 17% 22%
N2tZ You are right. I don't know how are they getting these numbers.
+N2tZ Trying to take their math seriously is a slippery slope. There has never been anything scientific about Mythbusters "studies", it's just good fun. If they wanted to do science, they would have a scientist on call to advise them on experiments. But, it's not about that. They ask interesting questions and build cool stuff. Better to focus on the explosions rather than the numbers (or even the outcomes).
MathS
Mathsbusters!
another thing to note is, half the time lanes will move faster if no one weaves cause if you cut someone off and they have to brake that makes the whole lane slow down, especially on interstates where there's only 2 lanes.
I think changing lanes works but you have to make good choices as to who you end up behind and spots where it gets backed up. My co-workers and I take the same route home in heavy traffic and I can distance myself by knowing the right places to change and perhaps luckily not getting behind someone slow once I do change.
I agree weaving will get you there faster. I prefer the fast lane when driving, and I must admit, I do significantly over the speed limit. But, unless I have driven behind a pokey in the fast lane for some time, and determined that they don't plan to move over, I do not weave. I drive a lot on the interstate, and I have seen people do things that could get them, and those around them killed. Once I decide I am going to have to go around a fast lane pokey, I start studying the cars around me, to make sure nobody is in my blind spot. Then I signal to move over, and ease into the slower lane. I complete my pass, and ease back into the fast lane. At which point, pokey realizes that he's hogging the fast lane, and moves over. (unless he's just a jerk, who doesn't understand how the interstate works)
I wish more people would drive at a speed appropriate to the conditions and not to the speed limit. seize the gap!
cop: "where's the fire? why are you in such a hurry?"
me: "I'm not. I'm on my way home from the grocery store."
cop: "then why did I clock you at one hundred and four?"
me: "nobody else was using the road, so..."
(this is a 4+ lane local/state highway. its only ever full during peak traffic hours.)
opyner I know that's right. If there is nobody else around, just let me go a little faster! I'll slow down to traffic speed, when I get in traffic.
itsnotthesamething people that drive slow in the fast lane are the WORST
In the UK now traffic is like the video from 5am to 11pm we used to have rush hour now we have rush 18 hour 😏
Summary:
I stay in the fast lane, and safely and cautiously pass people going too slow for me.
I have watched people zip by me and weave traffic, then I see them in an accident about five miles later. Just go with the flow. If you need to change lanes for some reason - like to exit or the road is splitting and you need to go a certain way, then change lanes.
You are so right. Simple yet effective principle. Thank you!
The algo is doing its thing again. Still remember and talk about this episode. Miss you, Grant!
i usually weave if theres a big enough opening to where i feel safe enough to do so. if another lane is obviously moving faster, i will keep an eye out for a safe opening.
if its bumper-to-bumper traffic, though, i usually stay put as its safer
RIP Grant
RIP to the brotha.
Whenever I see traffic coming up on my gps I switch to the rightmost lane because it usually has the most space at the beginning of traffic and I eventually switch to the middle lane once the right eventually clogs up
An interesting consideration to have for this is if the lane number changes things. The lanes on the right have more ppl slowing down to enter/exit the highway. So as long as you in the lane furthest left your time will only be marginally longer.
Unless you’re in some kind of insane hurry, I think that the risk and extremely high stress of this kind of driving is just not worth the small reward.
That being said, thanks for doing this test, MythBusters!
How about looking at someone who can read traffic patterns. That's where you make up time, and I believe your scenario is of two extreme driving patterns, neither are efficient.
Amazing seeing the vehicle landscape from 8 years ago, I forgot how all the cars looked back then
Something my grandpa suffers from is he switches to the faster lane but by the time he switches it slows down and the previous lane speeds up. It doesnt really matter in the long run and like they say by just bearly faster. All lanes move the same net speed averaged over a trip at least in heavy traffic.