The jamming behavior of a single lane traffic model based on a cellular
automaton approach is studied. Our investigations concentrate on the so-called
VDR model which is a simple generalization of the well-known
Nagel-Schreckenberg model. In the VDR model one finds a separation between a
free flow phase and jammed vehicles. This phase separation allows to use random
walk like arguments to predict the resolving probabilities and lifetimes of jam
clusters or disturbances. These predictions are in good agreement with the
results of computer simulations and even become exact for a special case of the
model. Our findings allow a deeper insight into the dynamics of wide jams
occuring in the model.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure