

MIT mathematicians model traffic jams like detonation waves







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Why do they happen?
By mdogs444 on 6/10/2009 11:23:08 AM , Rating: 2
I've often wondered how traffic can come to a full stop when there are no stop signs or streetlights and no cross roads to turn off onto.

The biggest reason is too many cars getting on and off the exits close to the same time. The exit ramps are notoriously too short, and the entrance ramps usually merge onto traffic way too soon.

I wish they'd create a wall for a half mile before the exit so people cannot merge at the last second, and a wall at the entrance for at least half mile that splits into two lanes before it can merge with traffic. This won't solve all the problems, but i'm sure it would help.

Some might say its a danger putting a wall there because someone might hit it...but if they hit the wall at the merge/split...then its one less driver we have causing traffic jams! :)

RE: Why do they happen?
By FITCamaro on 6/10/09, Rating: 0
RE: Why do they happen?
By mdogs444 on 6/10/2009 11:28:38 AM , Rating: 2
Yup - we all win in that case. Less cars on the road, population reduction by survival of the fittest, less emissions, less gasoline consumption...and I can get where I'm going faster.

RE: Why do they happen?
By inighthawki on 6/10/2009 11:33:43 AM , Rating: 5
What happens is that a car will step on a brake, and any good driver behind them, especially on the freeway, wants to make sure they also slow down to a point less than or equal to the speed of the car in front. More often than not it will be less then, in which case the cars behind that car also brake, and we have something of a chaos effect going here. A small step on the brake can eventually lad to a huge traffic jam.

RE: Why do they happen?
By arazok on 6/10/2009 1:52:16 PM , Rating: 2
I read a study a while ago regarding the impact of adaptive cruise control on traffic congestion, and the authors determined that if only 20% of cars utilized it, then traffic congestions would be cut in half.

These are cruise control systems that will slowdown automatically if another car is in the way, then accelerate again when if moves.

It’s funny how governments focus on MPG, biofuels, and expensive hybrid technology as a solution for our environmental problems – but if they simply mandated an existing and (somewhat) cheap technology be installed in every car we could reap benefits far in excess of these solutions.

RE: Why do they happen?



RE: Why do they happen?

RE: Why do they happen?
The fixes are 10 year ordeals.

Often referred to as "Godd4mmitons"

Okay, okay, I'll stopiton already...:P

