Congested traffic is a concern of many drivers, and the resulting anxiety has a negative effect on driving performance. Having several vehicles requires greater awareness of the surrounding environment and a total focus on traffic conditions. However, if you adhere to some general safety rules, you can get through even the worst traffic jam without any problems.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Drive Safely in Heavy Traffic
Step 1. Eliminate any distractions
When the traffic is very heavy, the road is full of vehicles, the flow is very bumpy, and people start to get impatient trying to converge in lanes they shouldn't be driving into. The last thing you need is a distraction to keep you from paying attention to all of these factors. Here are some tips to avoid losing focus:
- Turn off your cell phone or at least turn off the ringer;
- Turn off the car stereo or turn down the volume;
- Ask passengers not to speak loudly at least until you have passed the most difficult stretch.
Step 2. Drive prudently
This technique involves putting in place several preventive measures to avoid dangerous situations even before they occur. You should plan procedures to react to emergencies, such as when another vehicle is dangerously converging towards you. Also you should:
- Continue to monitor traffic and road conditions with your eyes;
- Identify drivers who are driving unsafe, suddenly changing lanes, accelerating dangerously or moving to the edge of the lane;
- Follow the flow of traffic;
- Activate the special direction indicator before merging into a lane or turning;
- Leave plenty of space between you and other vehicles or structures;
- Never get behind the wheel when you are tired or emotionally agitated.
Step 3. Plan your trips to avoid heavy traffic
In some cases, leaving 15 minutes before or after rush hour dramatically reduces the amount of traffic you have to handle. Although the worst times to drive vary from city to city, you can generally expect them to be between 8:00 and 9:00 in the morning and 5:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon.
Step 4. Look out for traffic jam already from a distance
When approaching a particularly difficult point, you should take your foot off the accelerator pedal, let the car coast and decelerate due to friction; by doing so, you moderate your speed while saving fuel.
- Depending on how far you are, you may need to activate the brakes to reduce your speed to an acceptable level as you approach the traffic jam.
- By decelerating you have some chance that the tail will release before you reach it; moreover, a reduced and constant speed saves gasoline as well as being less dangerous.
Step 5. Switch to lower ratios to improve engine efficiency
Even on cars with automatic transmission, with which you do not have to change gears except to engage reverse and park, there is sometimes the possibility to change the transmission settings. Generally, they are marked on the shift lever by the letter "D" followed by a number (for example "D2" or "D3").
- The D3 gear is typically used when you are in a queue and constantly have to stop and go.
- The D2 or S setting (which stands for the English word "slow") blocks the transmission in second gear and is very useful when driving uphill or downhill.
- The lower ratios allow you to brake more readily and quickly thanks to the "engine brake".
Step 6. Maintain a safe distance by leaving a three-second margin from the vehicle in front of you
You should be able to evaluate this "temporal distance" by taking an element of the route as a reference, such as a road sign, and slowly counting the seconds from the moment the car in front of you passes by.
- When your car reaches the same reference point, stop counting; the number you arrived at represents the seconds that separate you from the means of transport in front of you.
- Adjust your speed accordingly. By respecting a greater safety distance, you have more time to react in case you need to brake suddenly or perform emergency maneuvers.
Step 7. Observe the speed limit or maintain a slower pace of 10 km / h even if you are on the motorway
It is important to feel safe behind the wheel, this means that you need to maintain a slightly slower speed than the flow of traffic. However, if you move too slowly, the drivers around you can become impatient and trigger dangerous situations.
When the column moves forward and stops all the time you have to greatly reduce the speed; in this way, in the event of an accidental rear-end collision damage is minimal without any personal injury
Step 8. Prepare for emergency maneuvers
Impatient motorists can make bad decisions that require your intervention to avoid an accident; under certain circumstances you must leave your lane and approach the emergency lane.
Constantly observe traffic, the emergency lane and potential escape routes in case you need to perform emergency maneuvers
Step 9. Exit the ring road if you feel too uncomfortable
Emotional state interferes with the ability to drive a vehicle, and severe anxiety negatively impacts the ability to handle heavy traffic. If you feel overwhelmed by the situation, you should:
- Exit the ring road and take a break to rest until you have calmed down or traffic has subsided;
- Turn on the "four arrows" and pull into the emergency lane; relax for a while and listen to some music until you feel able to resume driving.
Method 2 of 2: Driving a Manual Transmission Vehicle in Heavy Traffic
Step 1. Maintain a greater safety distance
You need to leave a little more space between you and the car in front of you than you would keep driving an automatic transmission vehicle. By doing this, you have plenty of time to slowly advance at a low gear ratio as the traffic starts moving again.
- This technique allows you not to have to hold down the clutch pedal while you wait for the tail to get back into gear, saves the time and effort of shifting gears and at the same time avoids wearing out the transmission.
- When the column of vehicles moves and stops repeatedly, it is best to keep first or second gear, depending on the type of engine and how the transmission handles these ratios.
- Be aware that impatient drivers can cut your way and converge in your lane by "slipping" into the space you leave between you and the vehicle in front.
Step 2. Slow down using the "engine brake"
Cars with manual transmission can take advantage of this braking force; just release the accelerator pedal and select a lower gear ratio. You have to wait for the engine to reach an acceptable number of revolutions before "downshifting", but in this way you notice that the car decelerates gradually.
- When you release the accelerator pedal, the engine's throttle valve closes, creating a partial vacuum that resists the engine and slows the vehicle.
- Generally speaking, a lower gear ratio exerts more braking force.
Step 3. Stay calm when the other cars behind you do not respect the safe distance
Depending on the country you live in, the highway code may vary slightly, but generally a certain safety distance is required to be maintained between your vehicle and the one ahead, even when traffic is stopped. This shrewdness also takes into account that small backward movement that often occurs during the starting phase in cars with manual transmission.
When you shift into first gear and you have little space behind you or you are on a hill, you need to press the accelerator pedal a little more and slowly release the clutch
Step 4. Maintain a constant speed that is slightly slower than the traffic flow
Impatient drivers are often forced into a "stop & go" driving style, accelerating faster than necessary and then stopping abruptly behind the vehicle in front of them. This method is absolutely inefficient, as reaching unnecessarily high speeds requires a great deal of fuel and does not lead you to your destination sooner. If the car has a manual gearbox, this driving style is even worse, because you have to use the clutch to downshift or stop. The best approach is:
- Accelerate to a constant speed that is slightly lower than the flow of vehicles; in this way, you can coast forward in the gear ratio of your choice without having to go down or stop.
- This slow but steady driving technique also allows you to maintain a safe distance with the car ahead; however, you must be prepared to slow down and shift to a lower gear as an impatient motorist rushes into the space in front of you.
