110607_seattle_traffic.jpeg

Driving in traffic the other day I was trying to name all of the instant warning signs on seeing another driver that will cause me grief on my drive. I know it's not a true mathematical representation but I thought it might be fun to present my findings like the Drake Equation, the equation designed to calculate the number of extaterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way galaxy. 

 


I present to you, the "Brake Equation":

T = fp • fs • fht• f• f• fa • L / 1000

T = Percent chance of a bad commute
fp = Fraction of cars that are a Prius ("3" for 3%, etc)
fs = Fraction of cars that are a Subaru
fht = Fraction of cars that are a Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4
fm= Fraction of cars that are a minivan
ff = Fraction of cars that are driven by a female
fa = Fraction of cars that are driven by an Asian over 30 years of age
L = Lane number, from the right, that the above drivers occupy (i.e. 3 = freeway 'passing' lane, 1 = slow lane)