How Instagram Predicted Traffic Conditions

In a recent "study", Instagram predicted traffic conditions almost perfectly using data from Instagram users. This analysis used online indications of road rage to guess patterns on the road and it was spot on.

Does this mean the robots are winning?

Road rage is what we call the anger caused by driving conditions. Maybe you only experience road rage because nobody on the road knows how to drive except you. It can lead to violence or confrontations and is actually getting worse in recent years. Although, we could argue all rage is getting worse- road or otherwise.

The Auto Insurance Center used Instagram to track and measure road rage feelings across the country. Using the hashtag "RoadRage" they followed people through their commute in city traffic. By analyzing 65,535 Instagram posts over the course of a few years (2013-2016) they found some interesting information.

August is the month that people experience the most road rage and Friday was the road rage day of the week. As you probably could have guessed, 6 p.m. is the time of day people feel the most enraged on the road. All of this was found by looking at the pictures people were posting and analyzing the words most used and complaints most expressed.

This fun little study can't be too accurate, right? It's only random people posting online. You can only include people that use Instagram and people that are aggravated and tech-savvy enough to do it online. It isn't exactly a formal evaluation.

However...

The results of this study aligned almost exactly with the actual information published in the 2015 Urban Mobility Scorecard. This is a Texas A & M Transportation Institute publication. This score card uses a collection of hard data to determine areas in urban areas that have the most congestion, traffic, and mobility.

Texas A & M did not measure road rage, but it did measure the conditions that cause it. Boy, were they spot on. The graph below shows the official results. The day with the most delay percentage? Friday. The time of day with the most delay average? 6pm. Do you hear that? That's artificial intelligence and some creepy music in the distance.

You can see the Instagram analysis here and the 2015 Urban Mobility Score Card here. There are many more similarities.

Keep in mind, road rage is a gateway behavior to aggressive driving which can be injurious and even fatal. Do some yoga, take a few deep breaths, and be a part of the solution. If you are dealing with an aggressive driver, it is best to let them go ahead and get out of their way.

Take a defensive driving class to get an insurance discount, dismiss tickets, or feel better about yourself.