The Surprising Truth About Phantom Traffic Jams - and How You Can Stop Them
Ever been stuck in a traffic jam that seemed to appear out of nowhere? No crash, no construction, no visible reason at all… yet you’re crawling at 10 miles an hour, wondering if you’ll ever get home.
That’s called a phantom traffic jam, and believe it or not — we, the drivers, create them ourselves.
What is a phantom jam?
A phantom jam is a sudden slowdown that starts with just one driver tapping the brakes. The next driver brakes a little harder, and it keeps rippling backward like a wave, sometimes for miles. By the time you get there, there’s no obstacle left — just frustration and wasted time.
When I was a traffic reporter in Los Angeles, I saw these jams from the air almost every day. From up above, it looks like a snake slithering backward on the freeway — and often there’s no real “head” of the snake. It’s a chain reaction.
Why do we cause them?
We follow too closely. We react instead of anticipating. And most of us don’t realize how small movements — even a slight brake tap — can trigger a shockwave of slowdowns behind us.
It feels like we’re “just keeping up,” but each overreaction is like dropping a pebble in a pond. Multiply that by thousands of cars, and you’ve got an invisible traffic monster.
The cure: Manage your space
The single most important thing you can do is maintain space. I call this “driving with the gas pedal, not the brake.”
Here’s what that means:
• Leave a proper following distance — at least 3 seconds in ideal conditions, more if it’s raining or at night.
• Ease off the gas early instead of slamming the brakes when traffic starts to slow.
• Scan far ahead, not just the car in front of you.
When you keep space, you become a “shock absorber” instead of a “shock creator.” You help smooth the flow behind you, and you’ll feel less stressed.
My perspective from above (and behind the mic):
When I was reporting traffic from a helicopter, I saw the same patterns over and over. Phantom jams would appear at the same merge points and curves.
As a podcaster and driving coach now, I see them in a different way: as a symbol of how small decisions add up, not just in traffic but in life.
When you choose patience, when you create space, you make the entire system work better — even if nobody else realizes it.
A little challenge for your next drive
Next time you’re out on the freeway, try this:
• Pick a safe following distance.
• Focus on staying off the brakes as much as possible.
• Notice how much smoother your drive feels.
You might be surprised at how much calmer you arrive — and how much you’ve helped the drivers behind you.
Let’s talk!
Have you ever noticed a phantom jam on your route? Have you tried creating more space and seen a difference? I’d love to hear your stories — just hit “reply” to this email.
Freewaytrafficexpert@gmail.com
🎧 Want to go deeper?
I did a full podcast episode on phantom jams, including stories from my years in traffic reporting. Listen here ➜
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7G4X1nBj6p2zQNOPMXlJjG?si=iKz5BDk1Saugp0pDKXfjow
P.S.
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