科研之友
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摘要
In this paper we study empirical data for traffic flow at low velocities in single-lane traffic and compare them with those for multi-lane traffic. It is found that the traffic dynamics are quite different. When the velocities are low in multi-lane traffic, the traffic flow always becomes unstable and develops into jams. In single-lane traffic, some drivers drive in a more relaxed way and stay further back from the preceding car, as they know they cannot overtake the slow vehicle in front of them or at the front of the line. It may also be because they prefer not to follow the preceding vehicle too closely in single-lane traffic, to avoid the incessant deceleration and acceleration. This strategy is feasible because even if the space in front is large, no vehicle could 'cut in' in the single lane traffic. This phenomenon is called the 'moderating effect', and it harmonizes the traffic flow at low velocities. It is shown that the data points of synchronized flow in single-lane traffic are usually to the left and below those for multi-lane traffic in the flow-density plane. Thus, it is more difficult for the phase transition from synchronized flow to jams to occur in single-lane traffic, as pointed out in Kerner's three-phase traffic theory.
