Why Do Highways Get Congested?
2 Answers
Highway congestion occurs due to several reasons: 1. Free tolls during holidays greatly stimulate drivers' enthusiasm for self-driving trips, leading to overcrowded highways and traffic jams; 2. Accidents on the highway ahead cause vehicles to be unable to pass, resulting in congestion; 3. Road construction on certain sections of the highway; 4. Severe weather conditions prevent all vehicles from driving at high speeds, turning the highway into a low-speed road. China has an excessive number of toll stations on highways. Even if all toll stations are open and free during holidays, the narrow passageways at toll stations inevitably cause vehicles to slow down. The reduced speed of one or a few vehicles passing through does not cause issues, but if millions of vehicles continuously slow down to pass, it will inevitably lead to overall low traffic flow, thus creating congestion.
There are many reasons for highway traffic jams, and I have experience with them. Overloaded traffic is the most common, especially during rush hours or holidays, when the road capacity is limited, and all vehicles cram together, easily causing congestion. Accidents are also a major issue; a minor collision can trigger a chain reaction, causing vehicles behind to slow down and pile up into a traffic jam. Severe weather conditions like heavy rain or fog make everyone drive slower for safety, reducing the overall flow speed and leading to congestion. Poor lane design, such as too many entrance ramps causing merging conflicts and slowdowns, or construction zones narrowing lanes and slowing traffic, can also increase congestion. Toll booth queues add to the hassle by wasting time. It's recommended to use navigation apps to check real-time traffic conditions, avoid peak hours and construction zones, and reduce unnecessary stress to prevent delays in your journey.
