In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Treasury studied the effect that getting stuck in traffic has on fuel consumption. Researchers discovered that Americans were wasting 1.9 billion gallons of gas each year due to congested roads and inadequate transportation infrastructure. Although that study was conducted in 2012, it’s reasonable to conclude that wasted fuel remains a big and potentially dangerous issue. One way to cut down on the environmental and financial toll of traffic is to find different routes that help drivers avoid traffic jams. Even if such routes are more circuitous, they may end up helping commuters save time and money in the long run. Popular GPS-based traffic apps can guide drivers to less congested roadways by allowing users to set filters to avoid traffic.
