Recent advances in multiagent simulations have made possible the study of
realistic traffic patterns and allow to test theories based on driver
behaviour. Such simulations also display various empirical features of traffic
flows, and are used to design traffic controls that maximise the throughput of
vehicles in heavily transited highways. In addition to its intrinsic economic
value, vehicular traffic is of interest because it may throw light on some
social phenomena where diverse individuals competitively try to maximise their
own utilities under certain constraints.
In this paper, we present simulation results that point to the existence of
cooperative, coherent states arising from competitive interactions that lead to
a new phenomenon in heterogeneous highway traffic. As the density of vehicles
increases, their interactions cause a transition into a highly correlated state
in which all vehicles practically move with the same speed, analogous to the
motion of a solid block. This state is associated with a reduced lane changing
rate and a safe, high and stable flow. It disappears as the vehicle density
exceeds a critical value. The effect is observed in recent evaluations of Dutch
traffic data.Comment: Submitted on April 21, 1998. For related work see
http://www.theo2.physik.uni-stuttgart.de/helbing.html and
http://www.parc.xerox.com/dynamics