What causes traffic jams?
You’re enjoying a smooth, relaxing car journey until... argh! You’re suddenly stuck in traffic. What causes traffic jams?
Milions of cars
In 2019, Rijkswaterstaat – the government body in charge of Dutch roads – tried to find out what causes traffic jams. The results weren’t surprising: most jams are due to too many cars on the road.
There are approximately 9 million cars in the Netherlands. If they all use the roads at more or less the same time, there isn’t enough space. Traffic then slows to a snail’s space or grinds to a halt.
This frequently happens in the morning between 7 AM and 9 AM. That’s when everyone is trying to get to work on time... but is held up by traffic instead.
Accidents are another common cause of traffic jams. Not only because the emergency services cordon off roads, leaving less room for other cars, but also because curious drivers slow down to catch a glimpse of the wreck!
Bad weather
Jams are sometimes caused by roadworks. Or sometimes by bad weather, such as heavy snow. People tend to drive more carefully in those conditions, forming a line of slow-moving traffic.
Answered by Melanie Metz
