It’s back-to-school season, so if the past is any indication of the future, things are about to get hellish on the road. But what if there were some inexpensive, proven solutions that we could apply to help improve mobility? There are, and CAA-Quebec is pleased to present no fewer than 10 of them, drawn from a cross-Canada study by the consulting firm CPCS.In 2016, the same firm made the list of Canada’s 20 worst bottlenecks. Among them, five are in Montreal and one is in Quebec City. Although their total length is just 65 km, the annual cost of traffic delays on these arteries is enormous:
  • 11.5 million hours in lost time to drivers;
  • 22 million litres in wasted fuel;
  • 58 000 tonnes of GHG.
It is not surprising that a recent survey[1] found that 62% of motorists believe traffic congestion is getting worse. What should we do now? Let’s see:

1.    Drivers should learn the zipper merge

Approaching a bottleneck, the best way of merging is at the last moment, with each driver entering in turn, so as not to block the lane, and to use 100% of the space. Contrary to what many motorists may think, it’s not impolite, it’s simply good sense. Zipper-merging reduces the length of the line of slowed traffic by as much as 40%.

2.    Drivers have to stop rubbernecking

Motorists passing an accident slow down and look for an average of 12 seconds, lengthening traffic jams and often causing secondary incidents. In the U.K., special temporary visual barriers are even used to decrease the phenomenon. The watchword: keep your eyes on the road!

3.    Drivers need to quit braking for no reason

In dense traffic, braking causes a chain reaction. The key is to go slow and keep your distance to anticipate others’ movements—it’s also a lot safer.

4.    Authorities can fly drones to investigate incidents

Between a third and half of road congestion is attributable to traffic accidents and incidents. In Britain, drones are now used to get to accident scenes quickly and take pictures for use by investigators; as a result, lane closure times are reduced by 30 to 45 minutes.

5.    Authorities can install smarter traffic lights

Traffic lights controlled by a computer that can adjust to changing traffic patterns and incidents improve flow. Lost time can be reduced by half!To learn the five other traffic-congestion solutions identified by CAA-Quebec, visit our website, where you can also access the detailed findings of the CPCS study. “We often hear about solutions to traffic congestion that involve major work projects, highways, or the métro,” says Sophie Gagnon, CAA-Quebec’s Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs. “Yes, we need to improve our road infrastructure and public-transit networks, but at the same time, there are a wealth of simple, effective solutions that aren’t being explored enough in Quebec—and sometimes not at all,” she adds. In CAA-Quebec’s opinion, these solutions have major potential for improving traffic congestion over the short term, and merit serious study. The organization’s President and CEO, Richard Lachance, explains further in his editorial to be published in the next issue of CAA-Quebec Magazine.With the Quebec election campaign now under way, it will be interesting to know what the political parties have to say on this issue, and learn more about what solutions they are recommending, both long- and short-term.About CAA-Quebec CAA-Quebec, a not-for-profit organization, provides all of its members with peace of mind by offering them high-quality automotive, travel, residential and insurance benefits, products and services.

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(1) Nationwide survey conducted on behalf of CAA in Fall 2016 with 2012 participants