Traffic wave
Encyclopedia
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
.
s and reducing the use of brake
s, ultimately alleviating traffic congestion
for everyone in the area.
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
. 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
Soliton
In mathematics and physics, a soliton is a self-reinforcing solitary wave that maintains its shape while it travels at constant speed. Solitons are caused by a cancellation of nonlinear and dispersive effects in the medium...
. Traffic waves are a type of traffic jam. A deeper understanding of traffic waves is a goal of the physical study of traffic flow
Traffic flow
Traffic flow, in mathematics and civil engineering, is the study of interactions between vehicles, drivers, and infrastructure , with the aim of understanding and developing an optimal road network with efficient movement of traffic and minimal traffic congestion problems.-History:Attempts to...
, in which traffic itself can often be seen using techniques similar to those used in fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
.
Mitigation
It has been said that by knowing how traffic waves are created, drivers can sometimes reduce their effects by increasing vehicle headwayHeadway
Headway is a measurement of the distance/time between vehicles in a transit system. The precise definition varies depending on the application, but it is most commonly measured as the distance from the tip of one vehicle to the tip of the next one behind it, expressed as the time it will take for...
s and reducing the use of brake
Brake
A brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
s, ultimately alleviating traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
for everyone in the area.
See also
- Fundamental diagram of traffic flowFundamental diagram of traffic flowThe fundamental diagram of traffic flow is a diagram that gives a relation between the traffic flux and the traffic density . A macroscopic traffic model involving traffic flux, traffic density and velocity forms the basis of the fundamental diagram...
- Green waveGreen waveA green wave is an intentionally induced phenomenon in which a series of traffic lights are coordinated to allow continuous traffic flow over several intersections in one main direction....
- Road traffic control
- Rule 184Rule 184Rule 184 is a one-dimensional binary cellular automaton rule, notable for solving the majority problem as well as for its ability to simultaneously describe several, seemingly quite different, particle systems:...
- Shock waveShock waveA shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field...
- Standing waveStanding waveIn physics, a standing wave – also known as a stationary wave – is a wave that remains in a constant position.This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling...
- Three-phase traffic theory
- Traffic congestion: Reconstruction with Kerner’s three-phase theoryTraffic congestion: Reconstruction with Kerner’s three-phase theoryVehicular traffic can be either free or congested. Traffic occurs in time and space, i.e., it is a spatiotemporal process. However, usually traffic can be measured only at some road locations...