Traffic Experiment Reveals the Nature of Car-following

As a typical self-driven many-particle system far from equilibrium, traffic flow exhibits diverse fascinating non-equilibrium phenomena, most of which are closely related to traffic flow stability and specifically the growth/dissipation pattern of disturbances. However, the traffic theories have been controversial due to a lack of precise traffic data. The authors have studied traffic flow from a new perspective by carrying out large-scale car-following experiment on an open road section, which overcomes the intrinsic deficiency of empirical observations. The experiment has shown clearly the nature of car-following, which runs against the traditional traffic flow theory. Simulations show that by removing the fundamental notion in the traditional car-following models and allowing the traffic state to span a two-dimensional region in velocity-spacing plane, the growth pattern of disturbances has changed qualitatively and becomes qualitatively or even quantitatively in consistent with that observed in the experiment.

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  • Supplemental Notes:
    • © 2014 Jiang et al.
  • Authors:
    • Jiang, Rui
    • Hu, Mao-Bin
    • Zhang, H M
    • Gao, Zi-You
    • Jia, Bin
    • Wu, Qing-Song
    • Wang, Bing
    • Yang, Ming
  • Publication Date: 2014

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; Photos; References;
  • Pagination: e94351
  • Serial:
  • Publication flags:

    Open Access (libre)

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01529559
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 30 2014 9:44AM