Imagine you’re driving home from work one day when you come across a highly unusual traffic jam at an intersection.
Keeping your distance, you pull over and walk up to the cluster of seven cars. They had all entered the intersection simultaneously and ended up in a tight gridlock.
You ask one of the drivers if you can help, and he tells you that nobody knows which driver should move first to free up the traffic jam. They’ve been trying for over an hour and are getting impatient!
You’re already running late yourself. Can you help the frustrated motorists solve the problem?
When you have picked one car, scroll down to see the correct answer.
You realize that by asking the owner of the orange Pinto to back up, one of the lanes becomes free, allowing it to flow through. And in turn, that freed up a second lane, allowing it to go, then a third, and so on, until at last, the Pinto itself sped on its way.
As it turns out, the owner of the Pinto was reluctant to back up, as he knew this meant having to leave last. Thankfully, you were able to convince him that doing so was the easiest way to resolve the jam.
Everyone cheered and shouted “thanks!” as they sped on their way, and you made it home in time for dinner!