Which lane (lane) is really the fastest in a traffic jam?

Impatience isn’t a bad character trait, it’s the engine of efficiency. So of course you want to get out of traffic as quickly as possible. And the less time you spend in traffic, the less you delay others. But which lane (wrongly called “lane” by some) is fastest in a traffic jam? We will find out for you.

Marthe Uenk-Telgen of the National Road Traffic Data Database conducted research a few years ago. The traffic consultant compared 64 morning rush hours on the A12 and A27 and concluded that the left lane was faster 75% of the time. Sometimes it was three minutes in a traffic jam with the slowest lane.

Which lane is really the fastest in a traffic jam?

Although another study conducted by other employees of the National Road Traffic Database confirms Uenk-Telgen’s conclusion, we dare to dispute it. We don’t mean to brag, but we’ve had over 64 traffic jams in our lifetime. In our experience, it’s the right lane that continues the most, even if you don’t have to stay there too long.

It is often seen that the left lane is a little quieter at the start of rush hour, but quickly gets stuck afterwards. On the far right, the traffic slows down, but it continues to roll continuously. This is probably because the truckers who drive there a) don’t want to stand still and b) have a good overview due to their high seating position.

Usually you keep moving to the right while the other lanes stop. Even if it’s not faster, it’s nice that you don’t have to slow to a stop and speed up again, but in our opinion the quiet right lane really is the fastest in a traffic jam.

Move calmly to the right, do not interfere with other road users

Usually we try – without disturbing anyone – when the traffic jam begins to move gently to the right to sing the traffic jam. Only if it is very busy merging traffic should you move to the left. Adding wrongly creates space. When the traffic jam dissolves, you can move to the left again.

Changing a lot of lanes doesn’t make sense

More than twenty years ago, the magazine published Nature the article “why cars in the other lane seem to go faster”. The researchers conclude here that it is better to stay in your own lane and that constant change is not smart. So choose your lane at the beginning of the traffic jam and keep calm.