Traffic wave

Traffic waves, also called stop waves or traffic shocks, are travelling disturbances in the distribution of cars on a highway. Traffic waves usually travel backwards in relation to the motion of the cars themselves, or "upstream". The waves can also travel downstream, however, more commonly become "pinned" to a single spot on the road, as a soliton. Traffic waves are a type of traffic jam. A deeper understanding of traffic waves is a goal of the physical study of traffic flow, in which traffic itself can often be seen using techniques similar to those used in fluid dynamics.

Mitigation

It has been said that by knowing how traffic waves are created, drivers can sometimes reduce their effects by increasing vehicle headways and reducing the use of brakes, ultimately alleviating traffic congestion for everyone in the area.

See also

• Fundamental diagram of traffic flow
• Green wave
• Road traffic control
• Rule 184
• Shock wave
• Standing wave
• Three-phase traffic theory
• Traffic congestion: Reconstruction with Kerner’s three-phase theory

External links

• Traffic Jam Recreated for the First Time - New Scientist
• Traffic Wave - Science Hobbyist
• Mathematicians take aim at 'phantom' traffic jams - MIT
• Trafficwaves.org