Traffic Cameras | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
First point. I do not actively seek a drafting situation.
Second point, if you check some of the traffic cameras on the above posted link, especially the bridge tunnel to the right (Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel), which was built (first tunnel) in 1957, during rush hours, you will better understand that you really have no choice under certain situations.
In fact, inside the tunnel itself, where there is no lane changing and no escape route, notice how close the average distance between vehicles can get at the peak traffic volume times.
In summer (tourist season) the density is something like 95,000 vehicles per day for east or west bound lanes. I think that is 95k in each direction. That's 45,000 per lane, per day, with a day at 84,600 seconds.
Do the math. That's less than 2 seconds average, for every vehicle, for 24 hours. When the peak congestion periods come, it's much less than 2 seconds per vehicle.
You can try to leave a 3 second (football field length) space between you and the car in front of you, and all you will do all day long is hit your brakes as someone pulls over 20 feet in front of you, and if you are in the center lane of a 3 lane section of road, you risk as simultaneous merge by drivers on both sides, with a collision right in front of you at 65 MPH, with a half a dozen cars within 300 feet behind you times 3 lanes.
It's not uncommon to look in your mirror and see nothing but a pickup truck grille in your mirror.
I try to avoid the Interstates here, because people are stupid and don't know how to drive. You would think that they learned by watching a NASCAR race.
regards
Mech