Years ago I've read an article that recommended doing this manually as a way to assist the flow of traffic.
I thought its a nice idea and tried it. Unfortunately, I tried this in Tel-Aviv, where drivers from other lanes immediately moved their cars into the space that opened between my car and the one ahead of me. It didn't take me long to figure out that I'm getting nowhere.
Two years later, when I moved to the bay area, I tried it on the 101 during rush hour traffic. To my shock, it worked. It was exceedingly rare to have any car move into that space. Or move lanes in general. For some reason (laziness? safety?), California drivers don't switch lanes as much as Israeli drivers do.
Moral: There's time and place for every algorithm.
I thought its a nice idea and tried it. Unfortunately, I tried this in Tel-Aviv, where drivers from other lanes immediately moved their cars into the space that opened between my car and the one ahead of me. It didn't take me long to figure out that I'm getting nowhere.
Two years later, when I moved to the bay area, I tried it on the 101 during rush hour traffic. To my shock, it worked. It was exceedingly rare to have any car move into that space. Or move lanes in general. For some reason (laziness? safety?), California drivers don't switch lanes as much as Israeli drivers do.
Moral: There's time and place for every algorithm.