Looking at the ocean of stop lights spread out in front of you, you listen to the voice of the morning DJ talking about the weather. Fifteen minutes have passed, you realize, since you first stopped at the back of this seemingly endless line of cars. The sign to your right warns you of a lane closed due to construction at 2,500 feet. You sigh deeply, wondering how much time this next half mile will add to your morning commute. Such is life in our modern age of mass transit, you might think, but surely there's a way to ease that headache. While things like construction may be unavoidable, the way you and other drivers behave can go a long way toward resolving the problem. Be careful though, because even if you think your choices are the best in the current situation, chances are you too have often been part of the problem. My grandfather once told me that there were three things you could count on. in life: death, taxes and traffic. As much as we hate it, traffic has become a daily nuisance in our modern lives. According to the Texas Transportation Institute, traffic jams cost American travelers $87.2 billion in 2007. This figure reduces to seven hundred and fifty dollars per American motorist in one year (economic factors). As we all know, traffic costs not only money, but also time. All those hours spent cursing the traffic gods add up to almost a full week of wasted time per driver each year (economic factors). Keep in mind that even if you're stopped in a traffic jam, your car's engine is still alive and well, needlessly burning fuel and spewing pollutants into the air. Cars stuck in traffic burn a pretty intimidating amount...... middle of paper ...... Institute. July 8, 2009. the web. December 4, 2009. http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:w__mze5BFpQJ:mobility.tamu.edu/ums/media_inf ormation/press_release.stm+tamu+traffic&hl=en&client=firefox-a&gl=us&strip=1« Shock Flows." Traffic Flow Theory. The University of Idaho. Internet. December 4, 2009. http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/Chapters/trafficflowtheory/Glossary/index.htm “Smart Lane Merge ADDCO Intelligent Traffic Solutions. 2004. Internet. 20Solution%20Packages%20- %20Web%20Copy/Work%20Zone %20Safety/SMART%20Lane%20Merge.pdfSohlo, Marv. “Late Merger…the ZIPPER SYSTEM” Mn/DOT Office of Traffic, Safety & Technology October 21, 2008. the web December 4. 2009.