4 ms·

The problem is that a 3 second gap is large enough for someone else to put their car there, so that's what happens.

by qbrass 9y ago

bradlys 9y ago
And no matter how many times you build that 3 second gap, someone will keep taking the space. What ends up happening is that your 3 second gap means people will try to go around you (if this is the freeway) and then get right in front of you and eliminate your 3 second gap. I think eventually you'll get into a steady state solution where you'll be limited to 20mph on a 65mph freeway because that's all the room you'll be given - if you follow the rule of law exactly. Instead, most bay area drivers keep about 40-70ft between cars when going 70mph. Juuuust enough to react in time to an emergency stop. It's a little silly but it's the only way you won't get cut off constantly. Only other way to not get cut off is to go quite slow and be behind traffic speeds.
- diggernet 9y ago
  My car has adaptive cruise control. It automatically paces the car ahead with about a 2-second gap. It is absolutely wonderful for reducing stress and workload in heavy traffic. But the other cars... Someone will see the gap and race around me to fill it, as if I wasn't driving exactly the same speed as the car ahead. Causing my car to slow a bit to rebuild the gap. The next car back sees that and decides the first car passed because I'm an obstacle, and copies them. And so on. Until I'm driving 5mph slower than traffic, with a constant stream flowing around me.
- Noumenon72 9y ago
  That is not the steady state. When a car gets in front of you and eliminates your three second gap, it does so so it can continue at the speed of the traffic ahead. For you to be limited to 20 mph, the other cars would have to get in front and slow down. I feel that in practice I never have to do more than take your foot off the gas once in a while.

4 ms·

The problem is that a 3 second gap is large enough for someone else to put their car there, so that's what happens.

by qbrass 9y ago

The problem is that a 3 second gap is large enough for someone else to put their car there, so that's what happens.

bradlys 9y ago
And no matter how many times you build that 3 second gap, someone will keep taking the space. What ends up happening is that your 3 second gap means people will try to go around you (if this is the freeway) and then get right in front of you and eliminate your 3 second gap. I think eventually you'll get into a steady state solution where you'll be limited to 20mph on a 65mph freeway because that's all the room you'll be given - if you follow the rule of law exactly. Instead, most bay area drivers keep about 40-70ft between cars when going 70mph. Juuuust enough to react in time to an emergency stop. It's a little silly but it's the only way you won't get cut off constantly. Only other way to not get cut off is to go quite slow and be behind traffic speeds.
- diggernet 9y ago
  My car has adaptive cruise control. It automatically paces the car ahead with about a 2-second gap. It is absolutely wonderful for reducing stress and workload in heavy traffic. But the other cars... Someone will see the gap and race around me to fill it, as if I wasn't driving exactly the same speed as the car ahead. Causing my car to slow a bit to rebuild the gap. The next car back sees that and decides the first car passed because I'm an obstacle, and copies them. And so on. Until I'm driving 5mph slower than traffic, with a constant stream flowing around me.
- Noumenon72 9y ago
  That is not the steady state. When a car gets in front of you and eliminates your three second gap, it does so so it can continue at the speed of the traffic ahead. For you to be limited to 20 mph, the other cars would have to get in front and slow down. I feel that in practice I never have to do more than take your foot off the gas once in a while.