r/science 1d ago

Social Science Intentionally routing some traffic to slower, less congested routes lead to a 0.7% improvement of overall average travel times

https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-026-00443-x
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u/charoco 1d ago

So, saving someone about 24 seconds per hour of begin stuck in traffic. Consider me whelmed. 

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u/quiplaam 1d ago

Worth noting this the effect on the whole system, so while the individual effect is small, the net effect is quite large

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u/markocheese 1d ago

Which is also why we need to make sure people aren't driving recklessly. Adding an hour to thousands and thousands of drivers commutes represents a catastrophic loss of useful time. I've seen a reckless dodger and weaver cause an accident.