Tips to Cope with Traffic Jam

With the increase in population of the world, various small suburban areas have slowly grown into cities with increased economies and denser population. This growth in economies and population in various places in the world has brought about various social challenges. Among all, traffic jams or traffic congestion has grown to become part and parcel of the lives of many, especially those living or working in the big cities such as Tokyo, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo, Bangkok, Moscow, Shanghai and Mumbai.

Traffic jam is said to happen when we travel on the road with a much slower speeds than we could possibly have, taking a longer time waiting in lines and lines of motor vehicles, bumper-to-bumper in order to get from one place to another. This happens as a result of a condition where the traffic demand is higher than the roads could possibly handle. At times, the vehicles travel very slowly, while other times the vehicles could encounter frequent stoppage or even arrive at a standstill. Traffic jam could have become a norm in life to some that have coped well with it, while some still find it disturbing in terms of economically, psychologically or mentally.

Here are some tips we could explore to avoid a traffic jam.

• Stay away from the traffic jam prone area

Try to stay and work at a place that is further away from the traffic jam prone area.Whenever there is a choice, opt for less popular places.

• Know the routes well to take alternative routes

If there is no better option or if you have already settled with the area, make sure you know the available routes from location A to location B so well that you could consider taking alternative routes when there is traffic jam along the way.

• Timing of travel

Peak hours are rush hours when everyone is rushing to reach his/her destination on time. These hours are usually tied to the time when schools or office hours starts; for example, if school starts at 7:30 A.M., the routes leading to the school would possibly heavily loaded with vehicles sending the school children to schools about 10-15 minutes before. Try to beat the traffic by leaving 30 minutes earlier instead of 5-10 minutes around 7:30 A.M. For working adults, try to start and end work at less peak hours if your company allows flexible working hours; instead of following the crowd to work from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., try to start your work at 8 A.M. and end at 4 P.M.

• Check traffic reports before you leave

Whenever possible, check the traffic reports before you hit the road and plan your trip well. While on the road, stay tune on the radio channel with traffic reports and change routes where necessary.

• Invest in a good GPS (Global Positioning System)

A GPS will be extremely useful to help you find alternative routes when you are at a new place. It would be even more efficient if the GPS unit you have come with the traffic report feature in which the GPS will always be updated and guide you through your entire journey using minimum time from location A to location B.

• Subscribe to Traffic Report on your mobile

Another good way of avoiding busy roads is to subscribe to traffic report on your mobile so that you can easily avoid the road at standstill that could save you your previous time.

• Alternative Mode of Transportation

Always bear in mind that there could be other alternative means of transportation that could bring you from your place to the place where you want to be. You can opt for taking a public transport, for example subway, train, bus or taxi, instead of driving to the destination yourself. You can even use a bicycle or motorbike instead of driving a car.

• Car Pool

Always remember the option of a potential for car pool. Look out for potential car pool partners as it will save you a lot of resources (time and money) on the road driving the motor vehicle yourself. You could also have a more relax journey chit-chatting with your car pool partners during the trip.

Well, despite all the above, traffic jam seems to be something unavoidable to all drivers. So, what can you do in a jam?

• Listen to the radio

Turn on the radio when you drive, not only you can keep up with the traffic status; it can also help you relax and unwind.

• Listen to the music you like on the CD

Always have some of your favorite CDs (songs or talks) in your car, listen to those while you are in a jam.

• Reading materials

If you come to a standstill, such as a long Red Light at traffic light, pick up your newspaper, magazines or books and start to read. That way, you will not waste your time doing nothing and getting heated up emotionally due to the long wait and time loss.

• Drinks and snacks

Have some drinks or light snacks in the car, that way, it will kill off some boring time, while ensure you will not be dehydrated and hungry if the traffic jam become extensive.

• Mobile devices

Have your mobile devices handy and connected to the hands-free, you can call up a friend for a leisure chat while stuck in a jam. However, you need to be caution not to cause any accident. Safety always comes first.

Regardless whether we like it or not, we are bound to hit some negative traffic condition in our day-to-day life. Just remember, sit back, relax, stay cool and enjoy the journey. You will not know what you will see along the way! Remember to drive safe!

Please be reminded that one should use the above tips wisely and appropriately so as not to cause inconvenience and safety issues to other road users. These tips are served as information for references only and all drivers are to use the tips responsibly and at their own risks.