Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is a real bummer – especially when you reach the end of the jam and don’t see any reason for its cause. Researchers studying the problem have explained it with a mathematical model called a backward-traveling wave. When a driver on a busy highway suddenly slows to inspect an unexpected spectacle (such as an emergency vehicle or a fender bender) on the side of the road, every car behind follows suit, slowing more and more until cars far behind are forced to come to a halt. The only way to fix this frustrating phenomenon of human nature, researchers say, is to replace the humans with robots who don’t care about roadside distractions.
Picture Credit : Google
