揭秘马路拥堵五大原因

By Debra Kelly 韩璐 选 刘宇佳 注

Traffic can be the bane² of our existence. There’s nothing that will ruin your day faster than being stuck in a traffic jam all morning, and it’s even worse when there’s seemingly no reason for it. There’s a lot of interesting science behind traffic, though, and while understanding it might not make sitting in it any better, it can teach you how to avoid some of the mistakes we all make behind the wheel.³

1. The Way We Merge⁴ Causes Problems

Whether you’re merging from the left or the right, chances are good that you’re doing it wrong and causing all sorts of problems. When most people see that they need to merge, their first instinct is to do it right away. They brake, slow down, speed up, and change lanes⁵ in between oncoming traffic. According to the Minnesota Department of Transportation, that’s completely wrong. Sudden slowing causes traffic to back up, a problem that’s made worse by sudden lane changes and other cars braking to accommodate⁶ the merging traffic.

So what should you do? Exactly what you probably curse⁷ drivers for doing: waiting until the last minute. If you do that, traffic will fall into a more natural pattern called a “zipper merge,” meaning there are no surprises, no sudden braking, and a smoother transition from one lane to another, which cuts down on backups.⁸ This does, of course, rely on other drivers to let you in at the last minute and be courteous⁹ enough to not cut you off, which causes all sorts of other problems.

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1. weird: 怪异的。

2. bane: 祸害，痛苦之源。

3. 交通背后也有很多有趣的知识。虽然知道这些可能不会使情况有所好转，但却能教会你如何避免开车时所犯的种种错误。behind the wheel: 在驾驶中。

4. merge: 合并。

5. lane: 车道。

6. accommodate: 适应。

7. curse: 咒骂。

8. 这样一来，交通就会呈现出一种更加自然、称为“拉链式并道”的模式。也就是说，人们并非突然刹车并道，而是一道道慢慢并过去，这样就会减少拥堵。zipper: 拉链；transition: 过渡；backup: <美>车辆拥堵。

9. courteous: 有礼貌的。