system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 What causes traffic and what can the average person do to help prevent it?
gpt
Traffic is largely caused by an overload of cars in the road system (most road systems in urban areas aren't built to handle the amount of traffic they actually have), but there is a lot the average person can do to help.

* Don't be an asshole.
* Don't block the box in intersections. Just don't!
* Don't create situations just because someone else is an asshole. If someone cuts you off, let them. Don't go flying around them just to brake check them to show that you're the boss. Everyone else is going to suffer for your stupidity.
* Use your god damn turn signals!
* Try to never be in the way. If you need to stop, don't do it at the cost of others. If you're turning and need to stop, but can move out of the way, do so.
* Don't change lanes just to gain a few places, you'll lose them later and you cause the traffic to flow slower for everyone. 
* Plan your driving, make sure you're in the correct lane well *before* you need to turn. 
* When merging into traffic, make sure to accelerate to the same speed the traffic is moving.
* If you have a minor accident, move your vehicles out of the way ASAP! No need to make twenty thousand other commuters late to work just because you had a slight fender bender with another car.
* Unless you're passing, stay in the right lane. 
* Keep your distance to the car ahead! Heavy traffic makes it much more easy to tailgate, but tailgating increases the numbers of accidents substantially! Keep a distance of at least two seconds (preferably three) to the car ahead (start counting one-one thousand, two-one thousand, when the car ahead passes a line or mark in the road or a light pole or something). 
* Make sure you always have enough gas! Cars that are out of gas often causes major traffic. 
* Try to avoid routes where you know the traffic is heavy. Try to find patterns in when to avoid a certain area or road, this is most often very tightly connected to when people in different business around the area start and end their work day. 
* Carpool! Far too many cars are driving around with only the driver in them. This is extremely ineffective, both for the traffic and the environment!
* Think about alternative transportation methods. Take the train or bus a couple of days a week if you can. 
* If possible, relocate either your home or your work so you can avoid commuting through heavy traffic.
* Buy a helicopter.
* Buy a jetpack. 
* Walk.

Edit: added a point.