Adaptive cruise control can mitigate phantom traffic jams, says Ford

Phantom traffic jams can be minimised through adaptive cruise control (ACC) technology, says Ford. These traffic jams occur when one driver hits the brakes and causes a chain reaction of other drivers tapping their brakes which causes traffic flow to halt. Ford conducted a test alongside Vanderbilt University researchers on a closed test track involving 36 vehicles across three lanes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYfXxVn2Oc The motor company says the main causes of phantom jams are human fa
July 10, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Phantom traffic jams can be minimised through adaptive cruise control (ACC) technology, says Ford. These traffic jams occur when one driver hits the brakes and causes a chain reaction of other drivers tapping their brakes which causes traffic flow to halt.


Ford conducted a test alongside Vanderbilt University researchers on a closed test track involving 36 vehicles across three lanes.

%$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYfXxVn2Oc false https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYfXxVn2Oc false false%>

The motor company says the main causes of phantom jams are human factors such as merging into traffic without signalling, distracted driving, poor driving habits, slow reaction times or unnecessary braking.

Initially, drivers without ACC were tested with lead vehicles in each lane slowing down from 60mph to 40mph to replicate a traffic disturbance. These drivers braked harder than the vehicle ahead – and this led to traffic slowing down to a crawl in some cases.  

The test was repeated with all vehicles using ACC set at 62mph, which outperformed human drivers in nearly every braking situation. The system allows vehicles to slow down automatically and speed up to keep pace with the car in front.

Daniel Work, civil engineering professor, says humans still have an advantage over machines in their ability to see one or more vehicles ahead, which enables them to be more precise in their response to traffic slow-downs.
 
Michael Kane, supervisor, Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology, says: “Give ample space between you and the vehicle ahead, stay alert and that will always help traffic flow more smoothly, and help us all get to our destinations on time.”

The 2019 Ford Edge will be the first SUV to include Ford Co-Pilot360 – a suite of standard driver-assist technologies which include pedestrian detection, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, lane keeping system, rear view camera and auto high-beam headlamps.

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • Sensoris platform releases vehicle-to-cloud data standard
    July 12, 2018
    A new vehicle-to-cloud data standard has been released to cover connected and automated driving. Available on Sensoris' platform - co-ordinated by ERTICO – ITS Europe and initiated by Here Technologies - it aims to close the loop between the vehicle’s sensors, map and connected services. Sensoris represents a group of vehicle manufacturers, telecommunications, location, content and service providers and navigation systems suppliers whose new specification is intended to be used across the automotive indu
    Read More
  • Waymo may operate AVs in Phoenix ‘without safety driver’
    October 17, 2019
    Ride-hailing company Waymo may be about to start operating fully-autonomous vehicles (AVs) to pick people up - without a safety driver. An email sent to users, which appeared on Reddit, said people in Phoenix, Arizona, who were matched with an AV will see a notification in the app that confirms the car will not have a trained driver. Users can tap a ‘What to Expect’ button within the app to learn more about the AVs. They can also communicate with a rider support agent at any part of the trip via the app o
    Read More
  • The bus is the future, says Swedish transport operator in its latest ad
    April 5, 2017
    Swedish public transport company Västtrafik has devised a different advertising campaign to encourage more car drivers to take the bus. The campaign film mimics the way the car industry advertises its new car launches, using buzzwords such as electric, sustainable, delegated driving, with dramatic music, lighting and quick cuts between images. In the end, however, a bus is revealed as the ‘mobility of the future’ with the offer of a free two-week test drive.
    Read More
  • Survey: US drivers with safety tech take more risks
    July 29, 2019
    Financial services company State Farm’s research revealed that 62% drivers using adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist “frequently” or “sometimes” read or send text messages State Farm, a financial services company, says these drivers are taking more risks than those without adaptive cruise control (49%) or lane keeping assist (51%). The findings also revealed that 60% of drivers with adaptive cruise control and 63% of those with lane keeping assist admitted to holding a phone while talking ve
    Read More

Highlighted Content