I'm not the author, but I do a similar driving pattern when I encounter traffic waves. Lane changes actually end up making little difference. Even when I leave a lot of space ahead of me as a buffer to close a gap, only the very most aggressive drivers tend to enter it for the purpose of gaining ground, because it doesn't help them much at all -- the cars at the leading end of that open gap are usually stopped. However, leaving these gaps does help increase fluidity for those drivers who need to change lanes in order to eg. exit the highway, which in turn reduces traffic.
mitthrowaway2|11 months ago