Traffic congestion is one of the situations that cause the most stress for drivers. Every day, during rush hours, there are traffic jams at the entrances and exits of large cities. A situation that generates not only frustration among motorists, but also negative impacts on the efficiency of travel and the emotional state of those who are trapped in this tangle of vehicles.
Most of the delays that occur during peak traffic hours are unavoidable. The streets cannot cope with the growing number of vehicles seeking to cross them and the queues become endless, even kilometer-long, at the entrances to the most populated centers.
However, there are also times when detentions occur due to bad driving habits. A case that is frequently repeated is caused by not keeping a safe distance. When drivers do not maintain distance between vehicles, a domino effect is created that can lead to sudden braking and, consequently, the formation of traffic jams. This behavior, apparently harmless, also occurs when the 'old curtain effect' occurs.
The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) recommends maintaining an adequate distance and a constant speed, without acceleration or braking, to achieve fluid circulation. In a message published on its
The trick that the DGT shares with drivers on social networks consists of copying the behavioral patterns of certain animals when they move. It is about maintaining a model of harmonic conduction based on the group movements of some animals.
The advice has an empirical basis and takes us to the Teruel University Campus. In this center, researchers Óscar Melchor and Antonio Lucas-Alba have studied the group movements of the processionary caterpillar, coming to the conclusion that its application to driving would serve to avoid traffic jams. “You move forward maintaining the same average speed as the preceding vehicle, without acceleration or braking and always within the safety distance.”
In the aforementioned study, the researchers point out that this system generates less stress in drivers. They also highlight that maintaining a harmonious speed reduces fuel consumption and the risk of accidents.
In the following infographic from the DGT you can see how the processionary caterpillars advance at the same speed without colliding with each other. As they move, they adjust their speed and elongation, that is, they contract or expand as appropriate, to fit perfectly into the group.
Transferring the behavior of these invertebrates to the road environment, we notice that traffic becomes more fluid in the lane occupied by those drivers who maintain a constant speed and respect the safety distance. In this scenario, vehicles that follow this pattern will reach their destination more efficiently than those that adopt sudden changes in speed.
The DGT, in its publications, also echoes other studies with animals applied to trafficking. Research from the University of Malaga analyzes the patterns of a city, based on how ants communicate, to send drivers' mobile devices the best possible route to reach their destination based on traffic and road conditions. via at that time.
Another work by the University of Malaga allows the development of a software system inspired by bands of birds to regulate traffic light cycles. The authors of the study assure that traffic jams could be reduced by between 5 and 10%.
