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Traffic Congestion

Definition
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized
by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. When traffic demand is great
enough that the interaction between vehicles slows the speed of the traffic stream, this results in some
congestion.

Description
Causes
Traffic congestion occurs when a volume of traffic or modal split generates demand for space greater
than the available road capacity. There are a number of specific circumstances which cause or
aggravate congestion; most of them reduce the capacity of a road at a given point or over a certain
length, or increase the number of vehicles required for a given volume of people or goods.

One of the main reasons why there’s more congestion is due to more cars on the road. The adult
population is increasing and therefore more people want their own personal transport to get around
with. As the number of cars increase the chance of congestion also increases. It’s why in smaller
towns and villages congestion is almost unheard of.

This is coupled with a lack of proper infrastructure. Councils and national governments fail to act on
the looming threat of heavy congestion until it happens. The city doesn’t expand along with an
increasingly car reliant population. A single street with a lane on each side before might not suffice in
ten years after the population has increased. Authorities often fail to convert this into a dual
carriageway.

Alternate routes are also a problem. Cities have limited capacity to expand due to poor funding and
planning restrictions preventing building on green belt spaces. Cities are forced to work with the
routes they already have. If they can’t increase the number of lanes it leads to congestion.
Employers can also play a part in dealing with congestion. Congestion almost always happens when
people are travelling to and from work.

Negative impacts
Traffic congestion has a number of negative effects:

 Wasting time of motorists and passengers ("opportunity cost"). As a non-productive


activity for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health.
 Delays, which may result in late arrival for employment, meetings, and education,
resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses.
 Inability to forecast travel time accurately, leading to drivers allocating more time to
travel "just in case", and less time on productive activities.
 Wasted fuel increasing air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions owing to increased
idling, acceleration and braking.
 Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in traffic and frequent acceleration and
braking, leading to more frequent repairs and replacements.
 Stressed and frustrated motorists, encouraging road rage and reduced health of
motorists
 Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of emergency vehicles
traveling to their destinations where they are urgently needed.
 Spillover effect from congested main arteries to secondary roads and side streets as
alternative routes are attempted ('rat running'), which may affect neighborhood
amenity and real estate prices.
 Higher chance of collisions due to tight spacing and constant stopping-and-going.

Positives of traffic congestion


Congestion has the benefit of encouraging motorists to re-time their trips so that expensive
road space is in full use for a greater number of hours per day.

The standard response to congestion is to expand road space somehow, perhaps by widening
an existing road or else by adding a new road, bridge or tunnel. However, this could well
result in increased traffic flow, otherwise known as induced demand, causing congestion to
appear somewhere else. Moreover, Braess' paradox shows that adding road capacity might
make congestion worse even if demand does not increase.

It has been argued that traffic congestion, by reducing road speeds in cities, could reduce the
frequency and severity of road accidents.
Analysis

 Paragraph 1 : tell definition about traffic congestion.


 Paragraph 2 - 6 : tell about causes traffic congestion occur when a volume of traffic or modal
split generates demand for space greater than the available road capacity.
congestion is mainly caused by a desire for people to drive their cars coupled
with a failure by local government to act.
 Paragraph 7 : tell about there are many negatives impact of traffic congestion .
 Paragraph 8-10 : tell about positives impact of traffic congestion.

Language Feature
 Simple present :
- Traffic congestion occurs when a volume of traffic or modal split generates demand for
space greater than the available road capacity.
- Congestion reduces regional economic health.
- They are urgently needed.
 Relating Verb :
- Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is
characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing.
- Congestion has the benefit of encouraging motorists to re-time their trips so that
expensive road space is in full use for a greater number of hours per day.
- The standard response to congestion is to expand road space somehow, perhaps by
widening an existing road or else by adding a new road, bridge or tunnel.

 Behaviour verb :
- Delays, which may result in late arrival for employment, meetings, and
education, resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses.
- The adult population is increasing and therefore more people want their own
personal transport to get around with.
- Congestion almost always happens when people are travelling to and from work.

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