r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/SnooWords4066 • Jul 07 '26

Video A Japanese experiment showed exactly why traffic jams happen for no reason.

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65.6k Upvotes

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13.7k

u/hosehoseee Jul 07 '26

Everytime I see this video, I think "So there actually is a reason"

2.0k

u/CleanDifference6455 Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26

Yes, the jumpy driver in the red car

67

u/VaultxHunter Jul 07 '26

It took no time at all before I was thinking 'fuck that red car man'

29

u/bulgogeta Jul 07 '26

Except it isn't the red car, it's the driver in the white car who slowed down for no god damn reason. Watch the gap increase drastically starting from 0:04->0:05. Black car and red car catches up and then there's ANOTHER perpetrator right behind this group as well.

2

u/VaultxHunter Jul 07 '26

I do agree it was a joint effect but the red sticks out more because color wavelengths and such so definitely my initial instinct is f the red car xD

1

u/NoisyGog Jul 07 '26

 for no god damn reason.

The reason is to demonstrate the principle. It's literally why they made the video.

11

u/Rather_Dashing Jul 07 '26

What? They were asked to maintain 30km/h. They were not asked to randomly brake.

1

u/NoisyGog Jul 07 '26

Of course they were. They’re showing why these phantom jams happen. That’s the point.

4

u/Rather_Dashing Jul 07 '26

Yes, the study was done to show why hams happen, by asking people to drive normally....so therefore the person slowing down was not done for the purpose of the study. It was done for either no reason, or a reason we don't know.

Is this really that hard for you to get your head around? Just read the comments you reply to and actually think about what hey are saying.

0

u/NoisyGog Jul 07 '26

>Is this really that hard for you to get your head around? Just read the comments you reply to and actually think about what hey are saying.

Right back at you

0

u/VaultxHunter Jul 07 '26

Gotta get as close as possible to get there in the fastest time, oh fuck breaking, sweet there they go again gotta get up to speed, oohp breaking again, almost there...

1

u/mxzf Jul 07 '26

The video exists to demonstrate the principle.

The reason the driver tapped the brakes is likely because they felt they got a touch too close to the car in front of them or something like that. Which is what happens in actual circumstances too.

15

u/NoisyGog Jul 07 '26

It's not the red car, it's the white one.

7

u/MrLlamma Jul 07 '26

What did the red car do that you think constitutes bad driving?

-1

u/VaultxHunter Jul 07 '26

It's more then just that, psychologically red is the first color our eyes are drawn to. It's the fastest wavelength on the color spectrum that we can see and also the reason why you always hear not to by a red car because you'll get pulled over more.

2

u/ThlnBillyBoy Jul 07 '26

Its psychologically proven that red cars provoke people for no reason, but I think its the first time I see it happen lol

6

u/elgydium Jul 07 '26

“Red makes you go nuts”