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Mathematicians Solve the Mystery of Traffic Jams

Posted by Zonk on from the next-they'll-use-geometry-on-the-mystery-of-the-haunted-amusement-park dept.

mlimber writes "Do you ever find yourself in a traffic jam, thinking, 'Man, there must be a bad accident up ahead,' but as you plod along you see no evidence of any crash? Some mathematicians have solved the mystery by developing a mathematical model that shows how one driver hitting the brakes a little too hard can cascade into a backup miles behind. The mathematicians' future research will investigate how automatic braking systems may alleviate the problem."

1 of 629 comments (clear)

  1. Stop tailgating by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The effect would be mitigated if everyone would refrain from following other cars so closely. There would be less need to automatically break when the car ahead briefly does so.