{"id":15393,"date":"2024-02-08T10:47:28","date_gmt":"2024-02-08T00:47:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/?p=15393"},"modified":"2024-02-08T10:47:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-08T00:47:28","slug":"tips-to-cope-with-congested-traffic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.privatefleet.com.au\/blog\/home\/tips-to-cope-with-congested-traffic\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips To Cope With Congested Traffic"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We\u2019ve all been there, locked in grid traffic.\u00a0 And it\u2019s always a bit tempting to slip past slower traffic, cutting back in front to get a little closer to the next set of lights before anyone else does.\u00a0 Yes, you\u2019re with me!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These sorts of tedious, testing journeys may occur every day when you\u2019re coming back from work or going to work.  Traffic jams can occur after an accident has taken place or when people are heading away for the holidays all at once.  It might be the popular school run, or it could be that everyone is dispersing all at once from the stadium car park after a big win for the Green and Golds.  These phases of our journeys can be made to feel a little bit easier when you have planned well in advance and if you can keep an open mind that it won\u2019t last forever.  Being a little more flexible and giving yourself more time to get to your destination means that you can breathe a little easier and relax behind the wheel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the roads are busy, take your time and be aware of what\u2019s happening around you.  Try and give other road users the respect they deserve, too.  There are others trying just as hard as you are to do the right thing and get to work on time.  Yes, and they may not be as confident behind the wheel as you, so cut them some slack and don\u2019t cut them off!  If you keep a decent gap between your car and the car in front of you, you can look ahead and see what the traffic is doing, slowing gradually to maintain a nice steady flow with fewer sharp stop and start scenarios.  It also helps to negate the all too common nose to tail accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for merging lanes.  Problems show up when some drivers stop in the merging lane to wait for a gap.  Then there are those who would rather speed up and get ahead of another car in the line.  Both of these styles aren\u2019t cool, and both styles cause the traffic flow to come to a halt.  Giving each other some space and time keeps the flow moving steadily, which is really what we all want anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re travelling home from a lazy day at the beach, or towing your caravan, or when maybe you just want to revel in the moment and soak up the scenery by travelling along at 70\u201380 km\/h, well, that\u2019s cool, but do keep in mind that there are other road users that have to make an appointment or who need to get to the start of a school rehearsal.  Not everyone can travel this slow below what the open road limit allows, so use those mirrors and be aware of who needs to get past you.  Show them respect because you are holding them up, and they are getting more and more frustrated at being dictated by you choosing to travel at a slower pace on a perfectly good piece of road with a much faster speed limit.  Pull over and let them pass as often as you can, and don\u2019t be the cause of a crash. Especially don\u2019t be that driver who drives slowly along the windy bits or the parts with double yellow lines, then speeds up to the limit as soon as a passing lane or a clear straight comes along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all need to be prepared to react to someone\u2019s mistake, poor judgement, or poor decision, whether the roads are busy or not.  Keeping ourselves fresh and aware on the road while being courteous and respectful of others helps our journeys to be safe and enjoyable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ideas to help you stay calm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n