Why Traffic Jams Form Out of Nothing: the Hidden Physics Gridlock and Quest to Unsnarl Our Roads

You are cruising down an open highway when, for no reason at all, traffic grinds to a halt. There is no crash, no obstacle, nothing. Minutes later it clears just as mysteriously. What just happened?In this eye-opening book, Edward Callenford reveals the strange physics of gridlock: how a single tap of the brakes can ripple backward into a 'phantom jam' that travels like a wave, why merging and lane-changing quietly steal capacity, and how a road can carry more cars at fifty miles per hour than at twenty. He explores the science of flow, the psychology of drivers, and the bold experiments, from ramp metering to self-driving cars, that engineers hope will finally unsnarl our roads.Packed with real examples and original diagrams, this is a witty, illuminating tour of a problem we all share. After reading it, you will understand exactly why you are stuck in traffic, and what it would take to set us free.