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From: mat@hou5e.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics,net.auto
Subject: Re: physical laws of freeway traffic?
Message-ID: <557@hou5e.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Jun-83 23:55:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou5e.557
Posted: Mon Jun 13 23:55:38 1983
Date-Received: Wed, 15-Jun-83 16:20:08 EDT
References: ihnss.1561
Lines: 42

Regarding the question of waves through traffic, and driving habits:
This effect is documented, and is, I believe, well understood as a topic in
civil engineering.

Regarding especially driving habits -- we are poorly trained when taught to
drive.  As an example, consider two situations.
One is the typical heavy traffic situation.  We tend to gun the gas to
accellerate quickly, and end up braking when the driver ahead comes to his
peak speed.  The person behind is worse off than we are.  The problem is
often compounded by automatic transmissions that upshift with the engine just
above idle and suddenly lurch the car forward faster.  In really heavy traffic
(say 5-20 mph, or even up to 35 mph) I pull my slushpot down to 2 or 1,
keeping the car moving faster if need be with a little gas.  As a side benefit,
the chargine system in my car, which is none to zoftig, is allowed to turn at
a speed where it is almost fullt effective.

Also, if the driver ahead of me is tailgating, I keep about 2-1/2 seconds back
so that I won't end up magnifying his quick and sudden but small speed 
corrections as I drive.  If he has plent of room, I will move up to about 1-1/2
seconds behind because he will hot need to stop or slow down suddenly. I
also watch two or three cars ahead (at least).

The other situation is Red Bank.  For those who are not familiar, Front
Street runs east-west through RB, crossing first the southbound lanes of
Route 35 (a Major Artery).  About two blocks later it crosses the northbound
lanes of 35, and after another block or so, it intersects Broad street.  All
of these intersections are controlled by traffic lights.  These lights do
not appear to be synchronized, so that one usually ends up waiting for
several cycles at all three lights.  It is important here, as in any city
driving, to quickly (but safely) pull out when the light turns green, and
pull with a little haste right up to the car in front of you.  Most drivers
take their sweet time, and as a result, traffic through RB remains backed up
for a half-mile or more in each direction on Front Street.

Note that on the crowded highway, where patience and reserve would speed
traffic, most people drive aggressively, driving the stakes into the heart
of their timetables.  In Red Bank, or other city driving, where a certain amount
of informed assertiveness would speed traffic vastly, most people figure that
there is nothing they can do, and as a result screw up the folk behind.

					Mark Terribile
					Duke of DeNet