How Traffic Jams Emerge

This simulation demonstrates how a single slowdown can propagate backwards through traffic, creating a "phantom jam" that persists long after the original cause is gone. Each car follows simple rules:

• Accelerate if there's space ahead
• Brake if the car ahead is too close
• Match speed with nearby traffic

Click Cause Stall to simulate a momentary slowdown and watch how the disruption ripples backward through the system.

References

• Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams by Mitchel Resnick
• A Simple Fix for Traffic Jams - MIT Technology Review