“A simple behavior change can significantly impact traffic congestion and commute times," says Dominic Wyatt, International Drivers Association Motoring Expert. Have you ever considered how much of your life is spent in traffic?
The potential to significantly reduce that time is not just appealing- it's entirely feasible. Imagine cutting your time in traffic by 40%, converting those wasted hours into productive or leisurely moments.
The Rise of Used Vehicles
The increase in the number of vehicles on the road has rocketed and directly influences the traffic conditions. According to the data from Statista, the number of registered cars keeps growing and adds millions to the streets each year, along with new and used vehicles. It's highly associated with increased traffic density, creating longer commutes.
Between 2010 and 2020, registered passenger cars surged from 1.02 billion to 1.45 billion, a 42% leap in ten years. High congestion levels often come hand-in-hand with such figures. It could be metropolitan area traffic, where what should be a simple 20-minute drive now takes an hour because of congestion. For this reason, congestion is considered one of the leading causes of daily stress and lost productivity.
The Simple Rule: Staggered Departure Times
The introduction of staggered start times can drastically reduce commuting time. Research published by ECLAC states that if one departs just 15 to 30 minutes earlier or later, there can be as much as a 40 percent reduction in commuting time on the road. The rationale for this rule falls under what's called demand spreading, which helps distribute traffic throughout the day, reducing peak-hour congestion.
The overall effect can be substantial when enough people make small changes in their departure time. Often, this translates into smoother flow and shorter drive times." Dominic Wyatt adds. How is it done?
- Understand Peak Hours: Know your peak hours. More often than not, these are between 7:00-9:00 AM and between 5:00-7:00 PM.
- Shift In Departure Time: The shift in departure time is leaving 15-30 minutes before or after the peak.
- Observe and Adapt: Experiment with different times to commute to and from work.
This approach is not only feasible but realistic, as well. Share the idea at your workplace so that others adopt such measures. The outcome of dispersing demand onto transportation systems is traffic that moves along more quickly.
Conclusion
Less time spent in traffic congestion can be possible because more people are on staggered departure times. Such a simple rule, steeped in sound data, can obtain a marked change in daily commutes. Try leaving 15-30 minutes before or after peak hours, and let others know to do likewise. That little tweak could turn those stagnant traffic hours into valuable hours elsewhere.