Another way to help clear a
traffic jam is to try and keep a constant
speed while you are in it, so that you
never are stopped. Think of it as a game...you pick a speed, say 10 miles per hour, and if you exceed it or stop,
you lose. This means letting the car in front of you go ahead a ways, and sometimes putting up with people cutting you off.
However, if you do it right, all cars behind you will also start to move at a constant rate as well, and your lane will clear the jam that much faster when you are gone, and you will get some karma to burn.
Also, keep in mind that changing lanes not only makes the jam worse, it usually gives you very little advantage unless your lane is actually blocked by something.