9 Ways to Make Your Morning Commute Less Stressful

Don't Fall for the Faster-Moving Lane

In a recent Los Angeles experiment, where one car changed as many lanes as it could to get an advantage, and another car drove the same stretch staying in one lane, researchers found that after about 10 miles the cars were only separated by about 15 seconds, says Tom Vanderbilt, author of Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). And a survey conducted by the Texas Transportation Institute reported that over 50 percent of participants cited merging to be the most stressful activity faced during driving. The solution: Pick one lane—preferably the right one, where you'll find the majority of the country's exits—and stay there, says Robert McClanahan, director of transportation and safety education at Central Tech in Drumright, Oklahoma.