Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here with a quick and interesting story of interest. Perusing the interweb super highway, I came across this illuminating little graphic that condenses into a nutshell why traffic behaves the way it does. It simply and effectively explains why you’re sitting in bumper to bumper traffic when suddenly everyone around you disappears as if nothing happened. Hit the jump to find out why.

The reason? Idiots. Yes. Idiots. Don’t beleive me? Look at the little graphic below, courtesy of the Plain Dealer.

In a nutshell, one or two drivers at the head of the pack for no reason whatsoever decide to slow down, usually in the fast lanes, and the ripple effect causes a stand still down the line where there are more cars. If this sounds like the story of your life, chances are you live in southern California, the area most notorious for idiots and the elderly turning a quick 10 mile jaunt down the freeway into a hellish nightmare straight out of Revelations. Take that graphic and factor in any mild weather anomaly, and what you have his full blown pandamonium.

What do I advocate? Periodic re-testing for licenses or more expansive training for drivers of ALL AGES, not just minors. The elderly should be tested to see whether they have the reflexes, mental capacity, and eyesight necessary to drive at freeway speeds, and people who frequently do stupid things like driving 50 in the furthest left lane of a freeway should be issued a citation and have their licenses suspended for a week. This would remove the worst drivers from the roads in the same way that DUI check points remove inebriated motorists. The solution to traffic congestion is clear- we just need to get tough on idiots.

Dr. VW- out.