Does bad driving contribute to the traffic queue?
GEM Motoring Assist, a national vehicle assist organisation, has released the results of a driver survey it carried out recently. The company spoke to a range of drivers about the driving behaviours that annoyed them most.
Road rage and traffic queues
It seems like it’s the little things that annoy drivers the most – either because the actions are dangerous or because there is no punishment, so those actions are repeated again and again by drivers who do not learn. Two out of three of drivers surveyed said that they particularly disliked tailgaters – drivers who drive too close to the car in front. Tailgating can be a dangerous practice, particularly on dual-carriageways and motorways, where failing to leave enough braking space can cause accidents when traffic suddenly slows down because there are traffic queues ahead.
Drivers also said that not indicating was a major source of annoyance, as was cutting across lanes, and failing to acknowledge or thank when being let into a queue. But in a separate survey conducted by carloan4u.co.uk, London drivers also admitted to their own bad behaviour, which included texting, smoking, eating and operating their satnavs whilst driving. Traffic problems caused by drivers not paying attention are often the reason for longer queues and for road rage incidents.
Analysing traffic queues
A build-up of traffic can happen for many reasons. In some cases, it is simply down to volume of traffic or poor road, junction and pedestrian crossing planning. In others, it may be that there is a particularly dangerous stretch of road where accidents occur, or it can be driver error which results in an accident, causing queues behind.
If an area is experiencing frequent queues that disrupt journey times and affect local residents, the first step is to conduct a queue survey. A well-planned and organised survey collects and analyses key data that allows good decisions to be made so that problems associated with traffic can be resolved.
Queue surveys from Road Data Services
We specialise in conducting a wide variety of traffic and pedestrian surveys to help local authorities, developers and planners to make the most informed decisions. Our services are used by organisations across the UK to help them see how to improve current conditions or plan to avoid problems in the future. Just contact us today to find out more.
