Rat running

Rat running or rodent running or cut-through driving is the practice by motorists of using residential side streets or any unintended short cut such as a parking lot, delivery service lane or cemetery road instead of the intended main road in urban or suburban areas. Rat running or rodent running or cut-through driving is the practice by motorists of using residential side streets or any unintended short cut such as a parking lot, delivery service lane or cemetery road instead of the intended main road in urban or suburban areas. Rat running is a tactic used to avoid heavy traffic and long delays at traffic signals or other obstacles, even where there are traffic calming measures to discourage its use or laws against taking certain routes. Rat runs are frequently taken by motorists familiar with the local geography. Rat running is controversial. When traffic is especially heavy on a highway or main road, rat running vehicles may cause another traffic jam on the rat run streets, along with accompanying problems such as collisions, pollution from exhaust, or road rage. It is sometimes opposed by residents on the affected streets, as they may regard it as a disturbance of their peace. Sometimes, it causes 'house price fears'. Authorities may try to prevent rat running by installing traffic calming devices, such as speed humps, traffic circles, and rumble strips, by making some streets one-way, or by blocking off certain intersections. Some places, including Montgomery County, Maryland; Maryland Heights, Missouri; and parts of Minneapolis, Minnesota, have banned turning onto certain streets during rush hours to prevent rat running. Motorists familiar with an area sometimes use side streets or other smaller roads that run parallel in the same direction as the main road. They are generally local people who know these streets and the pros and cons of using them as alternatives to the main road.