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October 15, 2004

Strange But True!

Q.  How might more cars coming onto a freeway actually speed up the traffic flow rate?

A.  As the passing lanes become more congested, they eventually reach a state where no one can pass, says Barry Parker in "The Isaac Newton School of Driving."  Now vehicles move as a steady synchronous block, INCREASING the average speed.  There's little lane changing and few accidents.  But add more cars and another "phase shift" occurs; now cars follow too closely, bottlenecks occur, and a mere dog nearing the road can result in a two-hour tie-up, or worse. 


 
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