Offensive Driving

Just last week, I was making a speech about how offensive driving is actually a good way to drive but I did not have any proof for it. I based my entire premise on the assumption that offensive driving would create a buffer zone around the driver, thus making it actually safer for the driver. If everyone drove offensively, things may actually be good. Then, here comes some research to show that offensive drivers actually prevent traffic jams from happening.


Well, it’s good to know that rule-breakers are actually beneficial to the overall traffic conditions.

Because rule-breakers “carve out their own path,” Flynn said, they dilute large concentrations of rule-abiders moving in the same way. He pointed out an example familiar to anyone who has driven on a two-lane road: breaking the speed limit to pass a slow vehicle prevents a long chain of cars from forming.

Her research showed that tailgating drivers were more likely than a non-tailgater to have a car in the lane next to them, so they weren’t just speeding up in order to change lanes. She also found that these short time headways tended to extend across several vehicles, creating a platoon.

The conclusion of the article was that, feel free to break traffic rules because they help improve the flow of traffic. However, do not tail-gate because if we do, chances are that everyone else is doing it too, which will increase the likelihood of accidents.


Published by

Shawn Tan

Chip Doctor, Chartered Engineer, Entrepreneur, Law Graduate.

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