Which lane(s) is really the fastest in a traffic jam?

Impatience isn’t a bad personality trait, it’s a drive for competence. So of course you want to get out of traffic as quickly as possible. And the less time you spend in traffic jams, the less time you put others down. But what is the fastest route in traffic congestion? We’ll find out for you.

Marthe Uenk-Telgen of the National Road Traffic Database conducted research a few years ago. Traffic advisor 64 compared the morning rush hour on the A12 and A27 and concluded that the left lane was the fastest in 75 percent of cases. Sometimes three minutes would pass in a traffic jam with the slowest lane.

Which lane is really the fastest in a traffic jam?

Although another study by other National Traffic Database employees confirms Uenk-Telgen’s conclusion, we dare to dispute it. We don’t mean to brag, but we’ve encountered more than 64 traffic jams in our lives. In our experience, the right path is the one that lasts the most, although you shouldn’t stay there for long.

We often see that the left lane is quieter when rush hour kicks in, but gets down quickly afterwards. On the far right, the traffic slows down, but continues to drive constantly. This is probably because truck drivers are driving there and they a) don’t want to park quietly and b) have a good overview due to their elevated seating position.

You usually keep going right while the other lanes stop. Even if it’s not faster, it’s a good idea not to have to slow down to a stop and speed up again, but from our point of view, the quiet right lane is really the quickest in traffic.

Move quietly to the right, and don’t get in the way of other road users

Usually we try – without obstructing anyone – when the traffic jam starts to move softly to the right to signify the traffic jam. Only if it’s too busy to merge traffic you should turn left. Adding incorrectly creates space. When the traffic jam clears, you can go left again.

Changing lanes often doesn’t make sense

More than twenty years ago, the magazine published temper nature The article “Why cars in the other lane seem to be going faster”. The researchers here conclude that it’s best to stay on track, and that constantly switching isn’t smart. So choose your route at the beginning of the traffic and stay calm.