Agent-based model of highway traffic: Reduction in driving efficiency with density

Abstract

In this paper, we present an analysis of the correlation between the driving efficiency of drivers and traffic congestions on a highway. An agent-based model of highway traffic is used, where individual drivers are represented by agents undergoing single-lane unidirectional motion on a highway. In the proposed model, changes in the agent-modelling rules are able to simulate behavioural changes in driving efficiency of drivers. In addition, results from multiple simulations are compared with real life data. These comparisons show that during traffic congestions, driving efficiency of amateur drivers on a highway declines with an increase in the vehicular density on the same highway. Furthermore, this decrease in the driving efficiency of amateur drivers leads to a reduction of average velocity of all drivers on the same highway.