Staring at the ocean of brake lights spread out before you, you listen as the morning DJ’s voice drones on about the weather. Fifteen minutes have passed, you realize, since you first stopped at the back of this seemingly never-ending line of cars. The sign to your right warns of a lane closed due to construction in 2,500 feet. You let out a heavy sigh as you wonder how much more time this next half of a mile is going to add to your morning commute. Such is life in our modern day of mass transportation, you think to yourself, but surely there is some way to alleviate this headache. While things like construction may be unavoidable, the way that you and other drivers behave can go a long way towards solving the problem. Beware, however, for although you may think your choices to be the best for the situation at hand, chances are that you, too, have often been part of the problem.
My grandfather once told me that there are three things you can count on in life: death, taxes, and traffic. Hate it as we may, traffic has become an everyday annoyance in our modern lives. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, traffic jams cost U.S. travelers 87.2 billion US dollars in 2007. That number reduces to a whopping seven hundred fifty dollars per US motorist in one year’s time (Economic Factors). As we are all far too aware of, traffic costs not only money, but time as well. All of those hours spent cursing the traffic gods add up to nearly one full week of wasted time per driver each year (Economic Factors). Bear in mind, while you may be stopped during a traffic jam, your car’s engine is still very much alive, wastefully burning fuel and releasing pollutants into the air. Cars stuck in traffic burn quite a daunting amou...
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“Shock Waves.” Traffic Flow Theory. The University of Idaho. Web. 4 December 2009.
http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/Chapters/trafficflowtheory/Glossary/index.htm
“Smart Lane Merge.” ADDCO Smart Traffic Solutions. ADDCO. 2004. Web. 4 December 2009
http://www.cotrip.org/its/ITS%20Guidelines%20Web%20New%20Format%202- 05/Web%20Solutions%20Packages/ITS%20Solution%20Packages%20- %20Web%20Copy/Work%20Zone%20Safety/SMART%20Lane%20Merge.pdf
Sohlo, Marv. “Late Merge… the ZIPPER SYSTEM” Mn/DOT Offic of Traffic, Safety & Technology. 21 October 2008. Web. 4 December 2009.
In today’s day and age, there are so many excuses for distracted driving. Lives are put at risk every time a distracted motorist is on the road, and deaths have increased by a substantial amount in the last ten years. On Thursday, April 26th, 2014, one woman’s bad judgement cost her life (Hastings, 1). Not only was she affected, but her friends and family assuredly felt a pain in their hearts. In the few seconds it took Courtney Ann Sanford to post a few words on Facebook, it was enough to distract her from the road and to drive across another lane and through a median straight into a truck (Hastings, 1).
Today, worldwide reports of the alarming road carnage statistics indicate that the same problem still persists as motorists continue to engage ...
With the introduction of the automobile in the early 1900s, laws have been instituted to protect drivers on the road. With these laws come lawbreakers who put their agenda in front of the well being of others. Tens of thousands of lives have been lost. billions of dollars have been spent, and pollution has grown exponentially because of this. drivers travelling at high speeds on roads (Hartman).
The most noticeable inconvenience of driving in Miami is traffic congestion. In fact, because the highways are cluttered with a significant amount of vehicles carpooling is encouraged. For this purpose, high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes were formed. Each weekday, a simple twenty-minute drive turns into an eternal wait for forward progress. With each minute that goes by cars advance less than twenty feet. And while the traffic may open up in some areas, in its entirety I-95 remains congested during the morning and evening hours, as seen in the image where cars on the South Florida Highways line up bumper-to-bumper. The cause for such highway clutter varies, but it is interesting to note the difficulty in explaining highway driving conditions. It is uncertain as to whether the accidents cause traffic congestion or the traffic congestion causes accidents. Either way, the main roads and highways commuters take to work are crowded with drivers. Furthermore, I-95 passes through several commercial districts in the lower Miami area. Many large trucks and commercial vehicles, as well as passenger vehicles, drive to work at these commercial areas. The weekday traffic congestions on the Miami roadways are, in large part, a major inconvenience to commuters, all with intent to arrive early to work.
Drive-throughs are creating a major problem across the world. Most people fail to notice the amount of gasoline they're wasting by waiting in long, obnoxious lines. Not only is there gas being wasted, there are many pollutants being released into the atmosphere at drive-throughs also. Drive-throughs are not all bad though, in fact they help many people who cannot exit their vehicles with ease. Even though drive-throughs make life easier for most people, they still squander precious gasoline and harm the environment.
Today’s society appears to be constantly on the go. People seem to be pulled in multiple directions at once. Individuals never appear to have enough time to complete tasks that continually accumulate. It can be difficult to criticize someone that tries to make the most out every minute. Unfortunately, some of today’s drivers show a lack of judgment and trying to perform other tasks, while behind the wheel. People may feel this is best use time while getting to a destination. Occasionally, the small amount of time that people are trying to gain results in a time consuming accident. With modern conveniences that are geared toward an on the go public, individuals appear to be too preoccupied to driving safely.
Traffic reduction stems primarily from a decision to drive (Engwight,1992), a
There will be a day when driving will not require a license. Children will be traveling on their own, teens will be texting while driving, adults will be doing their jobs while driving, and the elderly who are visually or physically impaired will be able to transport themselves (Symonds). This will be made possible through new technological car advancements that will enable a car to be driverless. With technology increasing exponentially, and our everyday lives getting busier and busier, we need a solution. Weeks of productivity are lost each year by Americans (Pollette). Driverless cars will cause this issue to vanish by reducing delays and smoothing traffic flow (Winston). Most technology will have flaws, and this is also true for driverless cars’ technology. Improvements are being made to enhance the car (Pollette), but accidents will still take place. Despite the flaws, driverless cars will make trips shorter, and when trips are long, we will be able to multitask.
These days, cars are necessary for everyday living. They take us where we need to go. They are the method of transportation for everyday traveling. Road rage is an increasing problem in America. Incidents of violent driving have been rising for many years now. Many people identify themselves by the car they drive, because of this; road rage is only increased. Potential problems should try to be avoided.
We can attack and reduce the dangers of aggressive driving. Each of us should take a look at our own driving habits and those of our friends and loved ones. The government can help with road improvements and law enforcement, but solving this problem will require people to change their behavior. Working together, we can make our roads safer and prevent deaths and injuries.
Today, people use their own personal vehicles to travel more than ever before. Personal transportation is no longer considered a luxury; it is now considered a necessity. The number of cars in the United States has been growing steadily since the 1970s. The number of miles traveled by cars has risen nearly 150 percent, yet the United States population has only grown roughly 40 percent during that time (hybridcars.com, Driving Trends). Although it may seem like we are advancing into the future, in reality, we are moving backwards from the effects these vehicles have on our bodies and the environment. The pollution produced by these vehicles has brought us to the day where we must find other modes of transportation that cause less harm to the world in which we live. Advances in technology have developed hybrid vehicles to try and slow down the amount of pollution. Driving a hybrid vehicle, instead of a conventional gas powered vehicle, can reduce the amount of pollution that affects our lives and the environment around us.
Over the past decades, automobile production and highway construction have multiplied, while urban mass transit systems have been dismantled or allowed to fall into disrepair. The end result has meant more pollution, traffic congestion, wasted energy, urban sprawl, residential segregation, and social disruption.
Traffic jam is one of the most serious problems of urbanization, almost all the modern cities are facing different levels of traffic jam problems. In general, people can ease the traffic jam and not compromise the quality of life by a policy of sustainable development in two aspects including formulating a more efficient transport pattern and changing the urban construction.
“The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers” -Dave Barry, comedian. The number of accidents over the last ten years have drastically increased, drivers are paying less attention to the road itself. Many individuals behind the wheel of a car believe that their driving does not affect the road conditions, however it always will. The driving habits of today are catastrophic due to the reasoning that the driving will affect other lives through reckless or distracted driving, and disobeying traffic laws.
Road safety is one of the most important aspects of daily living. Our vehicle is our main transportation from one place to another. The number of car and motorcycle accidents seem to be increasing because of the many distractions, the lack of safety measures and judgment to road conditions and weather. Not being cautious increases the chances of not only injuring ourselves but hurting others as well. On the road, you see people talking on their cell phones or texting, eating, putting makeup on, changing the radio station, reading or using your GPS while driving. These are all distractions that endanger drivers, passengers and bystanders safety. Safe driving involves off-road precautionary measures such as making sure tires are properly inflated, testing windshield wipers, getting regular oil changes and tune-ups and adjusting the mirrors. All of these actions can help prevent an accident. Unfortunately, not all of us decide to wear our seat belts when driving or turn signal ligh...