Why Do Traffic Jams Happen?
Highway traffic can turn chaotic with no clear reason. Often, a single driver tapping the brakes can start a chain reaction that ripples through miles of vehicles.
At around 15 vehicles per mile per lane, a small disturbance can trigger a persistent wave of congestion — similar to a phase transition, like water turning into ice, explains Katsuhiro Nishinari, a mathematical physicist from the University of Tokyo.
But ants behave differently—and that’s where things get interesting.
How Do Ants Avoid Traffic Jams?
In a recent study published in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, researchers observed Ochetellus ants to understand their movement.
Unlike cars, ants follow three key behaviors that prevent congestion:
- Group Movement: Ants travel in small groups of 3 to 20, maintaining a steady pace.
- Consistent Speed: They avoid sudden speed changes, reducing disruptions.
- No Aggressive Passing: Ants rarely overtake each other, keeping things smooth.
This cooperative behavior keeps their trails flowing—even when they’re packed tightly.
What Can Self-Driving Cars Learn from Ants?
Human drivers often prioritize their own interests—speeding up, overtaking, or tailgating. This individualistic behavior often worsens congestion.
“We’re maximizing the interests of individuals, [which] is why, at a given point, you start to have a traffic jam,” says Nicola Pugno, a sustainable engineering expert from the University of Trento in Italy.
But self-driving cars could change that. If autonomous vehicles communicate with one another—just like ants—they could:
- Maintain consistent speeds to prevent sudden braking waves.
- Leave optimal space between cars to absorb disruptions.
- Avoid unnecessary lane changes to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
The Power of Cooperation
Ants rely on pheromones to coordinate their movements. Self-driving cars, on the other hand, could use vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication to exchange information about speed, lane positioning, and traffic conditions.
“There is no leader,” says Noa Pinter-Wollman, a behavioral scientist at UCLA. “But this organization emerges anyway—and it’s incredibly strong and resilient.”
Can Ant Strategies Really Fix Traffic?
While ants offer powerful insights, they have one major advantage over cars—they can expand their trails as wide as needed. If things get too crowded, ants will even climb over one another to keep moving.
For self-driving cars to fully mimic ants, we may still need better road designs and improved driving habits.
One Simple Tip for Drivers Today
Until self-driving cars become the norm, there’s still one practical lesson drivers can take from ants:
Don’t tailgate.
By leaving more space between cars, drivers can reduce sudden braking waves that lead to "phantom" traffic jams.
The next time you’re stuck in gridlock, remember: ants have already figured out the solution. Now, it’s up to us—and our cars—to catch up.
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