If Ants Can Do It, America, So Can You!

Traffic: A Bug's Life?
(Image Credits: Pixar Studios)

The Economist's Tech.view blog had a brilliant post yesterday about the similarities and differences between traffic flows and ant trails. The correspondent acknowledged that there are myriad differences between ants which--put, simply--lack free will and the ever-selfish motorist. My personal favorite quote was the following:

Leaving aside roadworks, traffic jams are ultimately caused by drivers doing something stupid—taking unnecessary risks, misjudging distances, over-estimating their own skill or simply driving too fast. Don’t expect that to change much. In fact, as cars get safer, drivers seem to compensate by taking even bigger risks.

One of the first things that I was taught when I was learning to drive was to avoid using brakes on the Interstate. Now, I know, this doesn't sound like terribly brilliant advice. However, there is no denying the fact that the first indication of a hazard to a highway motorist is illuminated brake lights in the distance. Otherwise, at highway speeds especially, aerodynamic drag and a little something called 'paying attention to the road' should be sufficient to reduce speed in the event that the car in front of you reduces his speed just so. Otherwise you'll send 'jamitons' (only at MIT, I tell you, only at MIT) rippling back through the traffic behind you. You'd get mad if someone walking in front of you on the sidewalk stopped all of a sudden. Why not exercise a little courtesy on the road, as well?