Heavy vs Slow traffic

• new2cars

  3 Jul 09, 10:27

  hey guys, in your opinion, do you think,

   

  Slow traffic is slower than a Heavy traffic?
  or
  Heavy traffic is slower than a Slow traffic?

   

  Which route would you avoid?

• FireIce

  3 Jul 09, 10:31

  got heavy but all moving fast one mah?
  got slow but no cars one mah?

• s0nic

  3 Jul 09, 10:31

  both i also will try to avoid. but if left with no choice, i will rather choose the heavy traffic than slow traffic route.

• lianamaster

  3 Jul 09, 10:42

  At least you are moving in both situations.

  Hate to see "HEAVY JAM up to Lower Delta Rd Exit" along AYE.  

• new2cars

  3 Jul 09, 11:25

  Thanks thanks.  =)

   

  and as an example, let's say we are going from Bukit Timah Plaza to Holland Village

   

  Route 1: via Bukit Timah Road but heavy traffic
  Route 2: via Clementi Road > Ulu Pandan Road but slow traffic

   

  assuming both route are of equal distance to the destination and the radio station is reporting the above traffic news, which one would you take?

   

  maybe heavy traffic is due to fallen trees, etc and moving extremely slowly?
  maybe slow traffic is due to high volume of cars but traffic is still moving?

   

  please pardon me as I am a new road user and am trying to understand such terms.  under normal circumstances, I will take any of these but I guess in times of emergency, I have to make the right choice as every minute counts.

   

  thanks,
  from a confused newbie driver =)

• s0nic

  3 Jul 09, 11:38

  i always go for direct routes. dont like to turn here and there to get to places. btw, slow = heavy imo. so there shouldnt be any difference. heavy traffic could mean lots of cars, but moving at a slower than normal pace. slow traffic could mean lots of car but slower than heavy traffic. thats my opinion.

• nightsky87

  3 Jul 09, 12:44

  Originally posted by lianamaster:

  At least you are moving in both situations.

  Hate to see "HEAVY JAM up to Lower Delta Rd Exit" along AYE.  

  Hate to see "JAM up to kallang" along PIE(Airport) when I just entered from the BKE sliproad!

   

• nightsky87

  3 Jul 09, 12:46

  Originally posted by new2cars:

  Thanks thanks.  =)

   

  and as an example, let's say we are going from Bukit Timah Plaza to Holland Village

   

  Route 1: via Bukit Timah Road but heavy traffic
  Route 2: via Clementi Road > Ulu Pandan Road but slow traffic

   

  assuming both route are of equal distance to the destination and the radio station is reporting the above traffic news, which one would you take?

   

  maybe heavy traffic is due to fallen trees, etc and moving extremely slowly?
  maybe slow traffic is due to high volume of cars but traffic is still moving?

   

  please pardon me as I am a new road user and am trying to understand such terms.  under normal circumstances, I will take any of these but I guess in times of emergency, I have to make the right choice as every minute counts.

   

  thanks,
  from a confused newbie driver =)

  I'm just guessing, but Heavy traffic = High number of vehicles, while Slow = Speed of the vehicles?

  It is possible to have low traffic volume and low average speed, ie during accident involving multiple lanes, etc as well as high traffic volume and high average speeds.

• p228

  3 Jul 09, 13:47

  Originally posted by nightsky87:

  Hate to see "JAM up to kallang" along PIE(Airport) when I just entered from the BKE sliproad!

   

  Me too..

  Haha.. Nightsky87,

  Where you stay? Bukit Panjang / Choa Chu Kang / Marsiling or Woodlands?

  :)

• nightsky87

  3 Jul 09, 13:51

  Originally posted by p228:

  Me too..

  Haha.. Nightsky87,

  Where you stay? Bukit Panjang / Choa Chu Kang / Marsiling or Woodlands?

  :)

  Haha I stay in the east, but my school is in the west, and on the rare occasions I get to drive, I use the PIE.. I used to use the ECP but since during peak hours, both are almost equally jammed anyway, the ECP especially near the shears bridge, might as well use the PIE as it's the one without ERP + shorter distance overall also. Lol!

• lianamaster

  3 Jul 09, 16:22

  Originally posted by new2cars:

  Thanks thanks.  =)

   

  and as an example, let's say we are going from Bukit Timah Plaza to Holland Village

   

  Route 1: via Bukit Timah Road but heavy traffic
  Route 2: via Clementi Road > Ulu Pandan Road but slow traffic

   

  assuming both route are of equal distance to the destination and the radio station is reporting the above traffic news, which one would you take?

   

  maybe heavy traffic is due to fallen trees, etc and moving extremely slowly?
  maybe slow traffic is due to high volume of cars but traffic is still moving?

  Hmm, my thinking happens to be the opposite of yours. Lol... It is based on my past few experiences driving along AYE to school. Not definite though.

  If it's the peak hours, there will be a lot of cars on the road resulting in heavy traffic. But at least you can travel like 50 to 70 km/h.

  If there's accident or fallen tree, obstructing traffic and the average speed falls to like 20 to 30km/h (crawling speed), it will result in slow traffic.

  If all the cars come to a standstill for a while, that's when the electronic board will indicate MASSIVE/HEAVY JAM up to so-and-so...

  Just my 2 cents' worth of observation...

   

• new2cars

  3 Jul 09, 22:52

  ah... that makes sense to me. hmm.. i'll make more observation on this. or probably i'll call LTA for opinion? =p
• lianamaster

  3 Jul 09, 23:26

  I dunno if they are free to entertain this... lol...

  Just find out where are the common congested areas and try to plan an alternative route, if possible, before you leave the house. Maybe you might want to adjust the timing as well... that might help.