Traffic jam on the motorway: When it's worth getting off – tips and rules

Holidays, bank holidays, or strikes: There are days when the highway is really busy. Should you be patient and stay in the traffic jam, or should you get off?

When traffic jams are announced or traffic is slow on the highway, many drivers wonder whether it wouldn't be wiser to take the next exit. However, taking the exit only makes sense once the traffic jam reaches a certain length.

Often, it's only worthwhile to exit the road during full road closures or traffic jams of more than ten kilometers. This is recommended by the Auto Club Europa (ACE), citing various studies. These studies have shown that drivers who stay in traffic jams usually make just as much progress as drivers who follow all the detour instructions provided by their navigation system. Many navigation systems and smartphone apps do display traffic jam reports in real time.

But the capacity on the bypasses quickly reaches its limits. "If only 10 percent of the traffic exits the motorway, the secondary road network is so overloaded," says traffic congestion researcher Michael Schreckenberg, a professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Intersections, traffic lights, through-town traffic, and only one lane on the country road: "You can barely move forward."

Highways are often congested due to congestion, especially during holiday periods. There are simply too many vehicles on the road at the same time. In such cases, however, the stop-and-go traffic still moves at around ten kilometers per hour, says Schreckenberg. "So if a five-kilometer traffic jam is reported, you have to expect an extra half hour." In such a case, staying on the highway is usually the best option.

What can be worthwhile: Taking a wide detour if long traffic jams are expected on your planned route. "This requires an alternative motorway route, perhaps a little longer, but with clear access," says Schreckenberg.

By the way: Pulling over to the hard shoulder and driving on it until the next exit is not only unfair, it's also illegal. You may not use it even if there's a traffic jam. Otherwise, you face a €70 fine. Unless you're instructed to do so by signs or the police, you're not allowed to.

Important: When preparing for your trip, you should allow a little time buffer – then the traffic jam won’t be quite as stressful.