Subsidize Traffic

Metro Manila traffic is as bad as it is. We motorists make it worse when we employ “offensive driving” instead of defensive driving.

All types of vehicles, from the most expensive to the rusted ones, can get stuck altogether in the sweltering heat of the sun or the drenching gush of rain.

The least one could do is treat others as their road peers instead of road rivals. In doing so, we tend to subsidize traffic.

But how can one subsidize traffic, thus, improving the overall condition of it?

• Stay on your lane
• Let overtakers get ahead
• Give way to lane skippers

Stay on your lane

You may skip from lane to lane as long as you don’t disrupt the flow in that lane. Disrupting the flow could mean inserting your vehicle in an exact space in between two vehicles in that lane. If you don’t want the cognitive load of deciding where the fastest lane is – stay on your lane.

Let overtakers get ahead

You’re maybe racing with time to a destination but don’t race with overtakers. They might be in a “number two” emergency situation, you never know.

Give way to lane skippers

And if there are cars inserting themselves into your lane, slow down and just let them. If you don’t, two lanes are disrupted – theirs and yours. If you do, then congratulations, you subsidized traffic!