Rush Hour Traffic

I carpool with my brother-in-law and when it's my turn to drive, there are things I do that I know drive him crazy. For instance, when I'm in heavy traffic, I will intentionally leave a large opening between my car and the car in front of me. Why, you ask?

Well, here's my reasoning: I'm NOT an hourly worker and do not have to punch a time clock every time I get to work. Therefore, I'm not going to get in trouble if I don't arrive at my office at a specific time every morning. However, I am well aware that there are drivers in rush hour traffic that ARE UNDER THE GUN and are expected to be at work at a specific time.

For those drivers that have to be at work at a specific time, THAT'S why I leave a huge gap between my car and the car in front of me.

I also know there are people that are in a hurry for one reason or another. I make it a point to NOT be in a hurry for anything, if I can help it. If I leave a huge gap between my car and the car in front of me, other drivers have room to maneuver in traffic without feeling a lot of stress.

That huge gap also gives me a chance to slow down when I see traffic is STOPPED DEAD ahead of me. I don't see any point in speeding up just to slow down really fast! It doesn't help my gas mileage when I drive that way. It doesn't help my stress level either when I drive that way. So, to those drivers behind me who think I'm slowing down just to tick them off, I say, GROW UP!!! LOOK DOWN THE ROAD and you'll see WHY I'M SLOWING DOWN!!

Don't misunderstand me here, I like to drive at the speed limit or 5-10 mph over, HOWEVER, I don't like to crowd the vehicles in front of me, just to try and get them to speed up. That increases the stress I feel as I drive and I'm sure it ups the stress of the driver that I would be crowding.

I've also found that when more than one driver leaves space between their vehicle and the vehicle in front of them, that TRAFFIC keeps MOVING at or above the speed limit.

Some drivers may not understand this simple fact: If they are traveling faster than the traffic in front of them, they WILL HAVE TO HIT THEIR BRAKES. When ONE DRIVER hits their brakes in heavy traffic, AT LEAST 3-5 vehicles behind them will have to hit their brakes. This is precisely how traffic jams happen!!!! In less than 5 minutes, ALL TRAFFIC will be crawling at 5-10 mph or LESS. Myth Busters even did a show to prove or disprove that notion and that is precisely what they found. NOBODY LIKES THAT! 

So, here's what I have to say to all the drivers out there, and that includes my kids: Wake up earlier so you don't have to be in a hurry. It's amazing what happens to your mental well being when you aren't in a hurry. If you're having trouble waking up in the morning, try going to bed earlier in the evening. Once you find what works for you, stick with that sleep schedule EVERY DAY. I had to work nights when I first started my current job. My Sweetheart made sure that I stayed on that sleep schedule every day, including the weekends. Even when we went on vacation, my wife made sure I kept my sleep schedule. I never felt any stress on my drive to or from work, mainly because I was traveling to and from work against the flow of normal traffic. However, I also never felt any stress at home when I worked nights. As a matter of fact, I think I saw my family more when I worked nights, because I would get home just as they were getting up and getting ready for school/work. And then I would sleep while they were at school/work and wake up about the time they got home. Then, when they went to bed, I left for work.

Do yourself a favor and, as they say in London, MIND THE GAP! You have control over how much space you leave between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.