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Every driver knows the frustration of dealing with congested roadways. The congestion can lead some distressed motorists to aggressively change lanes, make sudden U-turns and speed after congestion lessens in order to make up for lost time. 

The United States faces large challenges in solving congestion issues, fueled by continued economic and population growth, higher employment rates and declining gas prices according to the 2015 Traffic Scoreboard report released in March 2016 by INRIX, Inc., a global leader for transportation analytics. 

How does Florida fare? 

According to studies three of the top twenty cities in the United States with high traffic congestion are here in Florida - Jacksonville, Orlando and Tampa.

The 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard created by Texas A & M University ranked seven Florida cities among the worst for traffic congestion - Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Cape Coral and Sarasota. 

Why is traffic congestion worse in South Florida than in most other parts of the state?  (Source: AllAboardFlorida.com, new Brightline express train service to connect Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, FL in 2017.) 

• Not enough highways: Florida’s state highways account for only 10 percent of the state’s network of roads, yet they carry 54 percent of day-to-day traffic.
• More commuters than the national average: Almost 90 percent of working Floridians used their personal vehicles in 2015 to get to work every day, which beat the national average by 3.1 percent.
• An increased number of drivers and vehicles: In 2015, the number of people licensed to drive by the state of Florida swelled to 15.6 million, up 1.3 percent from the previous year.
• A large number of visitors: In 2015, 100 million visitors flocked to the sunshine state. 

What can be done to ease traffic jams? 

According to The Wall Street Journal article, “One Driver Can Prevent a Traffic Jam” (October 12, 2016), there is a growing body of research finding that an individual driver, by preventing bottlenecks and maintaining a steady speed, can sometimes single-handedly ease or break up a traffic jam. Here’s what the article said: 

1. Disarm aggressors: Keep a gap open in front of you so that when a road rager races to fill it, you won’t even need to tap your brakes. This prevents aggressive lane-changers from triggering jams.
2. Ease exits: Encourage other drivers to merge into exit lanes in front of you, so they won’t have to slow down and block adjacent lanes waiting to merge.
3. Prevent bottlenecks: When entering a congested zone where lanes are merging, stop pushing ahead. Instead, open a wide gap and allow other drivers to merge into your lane without stopping. 

Traffic control techniques 

As traffic congestion gets worse, some government regulators are embracing traffic-control techniques. On-ramp stop-and-go lights on some state highways force drivers to leave spaces in front of their cars, for example, and “zipper-merge” rules require drivers in construction zones to open gaps in front of their cars so others can take turns merging smoothly. 

Tips from All Aboard Florida to avoid traffic jams: 

• Identify alternate routes of travel: If the roads you normally use to get to work are frequently bogged down with traffic, take a few minutes to map out alternate routes. Keep in mind that the more widespread a report of traffic becomes, the more likely it is your alternative routes will become busy. Beat these odds by having more than one alternative route. 
• Become a traffic-report junkie: If you’re not a traffic-report junkie, now is the time to convert. Your local news station or traffic-reporting smartphone app can hold the keys to a drastically shorter commute. Keep checking the reports, so you can adjust your route as needed. 

“If you or a loved one is injured in a vehicle accident, contact us at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.,” said Fort Myers Auto Accident Attorney Randall Spivey. 

Fort Myers Auto Accident Attorney, Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one (1%) percent of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll free at 1.888.477.4839,or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County 239.793.7748.