Traffic delays logic
Discussion
I was reminded today of my possibly screwed logic when responding to a notification of a traffic delay ahead.
Other PH views welcome.
You're on a long journey on the motorway, any other routes will add hours to your journey. The gantry signs and your sat nav inform you that there is a 40 mins delay on your route ahead, but about 30 miles away.
Do you:
1. Continue your journey at your current speed.
2. Speed up to make up time now, whilst it's still something that you can do something about and make up for some of the expected delay.
3. Go a little slower, with the view that it'll give more time to get sorted out before you reach it.
I always do option 2. Is that just stupid, or does it make sense?
Other PH views welcome.
You're on a long journey on the motorway, any other routes will add hours to your journey. The gantry signs and your sat nav inform you that there is a 40 mins delay on your route ahead, but about 30 miles away.
Do you:
1. Continue your journey at your current speed.
2. Speed up to make up time now, whilst it's still something that you can do something about and make up for some of the expected delay.
3. Go a little slower, with the view that it'll give more time to get sorted out before you reach it.
I always do option 2. Is that just stupid, or does it make sense?
A lot depends on it being a full closure, or a blocked lane, how long ago the incident happened and how clogged up detour routes have become.
As I spend a lot of time on motorways I know, the gantry signs are not always accurate, and radio traffic reports, local station ones give you some idea, better than gantry signs or sat navs. Though looking at detour routes on live data helps.
That 40 minutes can quickly become 10 if the incident is cleared quickly, or hours for a long term closure.
I usually keep travelling at the same speed towards minor incidents, get off straight away, not wait to get nearer, if there is a major incident, and take a wider detour than a sat nav would take me, if possible.
Close detour routes very often take longer, especially if there is already a long queue at the junction to leave the motorway. At that point creeping through is probably the best option.
As I spend a lot of time on motorways I know, the gantry signs are not always accurate, and radio traffic reports, local station ones give you some idea, better than gantry signs or sat navs. Though looking at detour routes on live data helps.
That 40 minutes can quickly become 10 if the incident is cleared quickly, or hours for a long term closure.
I usually keep travelling at the same speed towards minor incidents, get off straight away, not wait to get nearer, if there is a major incident, and take a wider detour than a sat nav would take me, if possible.
Close detour routes very often take longer, especially if there is already a long queue at the junction to leave the motorway. At that point creeping through is probably the best option.
It seems to me that none of your options make much difference either way unless you slow up too much and get there after the traffic has started moving again in which case you've lost time.
Whether you get there two, ten, twenty or whatever minutes before hand the traffic will start moving again when it starts moving again. the only difference will be how long you sit there waiting.
Whether you get there two, ten, twenty or whatever minutes before hand the traffic will start moving again when it starts moving again. the only difference will be how long you sit there waiting.
I can't think of many roads in the UK where it isn't possible to divert round a queue 30 miles ahead.
This could happen on a few A roads in Scotland and perhaps on something like the Humber Bridge, but there is always an alternative route to a motorway.
It's more a matter or deciding whether the alternative is going to be quicker than sitting in the queue.
This could happen on a few A roads in Scotland and perhaps on something like the Humber Bridge, but there is always an alternative route to a motorway.
It's more a matter or deciding whether the alternative is going to be quicker than sitting in the queue.
Mr Squarekins said:
I was reminded today of my possibly screwed logic when responding to a notification of a traffic delay ahead.
Other PH views welcome.
You're on a long journey on the motorway, any other routes will add hours to your journey. The gantry signs and your sat nav inform you that there is a 40 mins delay on your route ahead, but about 30 miles away.
Do you:
1. Continue your journey at your current speed.
2. Speed up to make up time now, whilst it's still something that you can do something about and make up for some of the expected delay.
3. Go a little slower, with the view that it'll give more time to get sorted out before you reach it.
I always do option 2. Is that just stupid, or does it make sense?
4. Use Waze (or Google Maps) and follow any change of route the software recommends if the time saving is more than a couple of minutes. Otherwise carry on as planned. Other PH views welcome.
You're on a long journey on the motorway, any other routes will add hours to your journey. The gantry signs and your sat nav inform you that there is a 40 mins delay on your route ahead, but about 30 miles away.
Do you:
1. Continue your journey at your current speed.
2. Speed up to make up time now, whilst it's still something that you can do something about and make up for some of the expected delay.
3. Go a little slower, with the view that it'll give more time to get sorted out before you reach it.
I always do option 2. Is that just stupid, or does it make sense?
Why you'd speed up to get to the back of the queue quicker is beyond me.
I had to consider these options twice recently, on a return journey across the A66 that was choked both times between Bowes Castle and Scotch Corner.
First time, heading east, it was all too late and the alternative routes were little single track roads that Google/Waze was now funnelling lots of cars through. So I opted to just stick it out and trundle through.
Second time, heading west, I found out about it a lot sooner so I stuck to the A1 longer and went up and round the tailback via West Auckland and Barnard Castle. 20 miles extra but apparently 10 mins saved. I'll never know if that was true but I was at least kept moving at a decent average speed.
First time, heading east, it was all too late and the alternative routes were little single track roads that Google/Waze was now funnelling lots of cars through. So I opted to just stick it out and trundle through.
Second time, heading west, I found out about it a lot sooner so I stuck to the A1 longer and went up and round the tailback via West Auckland and Barnard Castle. 20 miles extra but apparently 10 mins saved. I'll never know if that was true but I was at least kept moving at a decent average speed.
If it's unexpected traffic I'll have a look at the cameras and try to figure out if the situation is going to change before I get there. Also useful for looking at traffic on sliproads and roundabouts at places like the Dartford tunnel.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com....
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