Car-Following Models
Much research has been devoted to the notion that traffic stream behavior can be analyzed at the microscopic level. At this level the behavior of individual drivers must be examined and modeled. From the overall driving task, the subtask that is most relevant to traffic flow is the task of one vehicle following another on a single lane of roadway (car following). This particular driving subtask is relatively simple compared to other driving tasks, it has been successfully described by mathematical models, and is an important facet of driving. However, it is a task that is commonly practiced on dual or multiple lane roadways when passing becomes difficult or when traffic is restrained to a single lane. Car following models describe this task and with such a description, the macroscopic behavior of a single lane of traffic can be approximated. Hence, car following models form a bridge between individual "car following" behavior and the macroscopic world of a line of vehicles and their corresponding flow and stability properties.
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