The Science Of A Traffic Jam

We've all experienced it - cruising down the Parkway (or Turnpike or anywhere) when suddenly everything slows to a crawl. Brake lights as far as the eye can see, inching forward little by little. We anticipate what the issue may be, hoping it's something as simple as a stalled car on the shoulder, but preparing ourselves for something worse. The longer the delay, the worse accident we imagine - overturned cars, cars on fire, multi-car pileups.

Then suddenly, traffic opens up, and there's nothing. No one on the shoulder, no debris from an accident, no police leaving the scene. It blows the mind to think that traffic can just materialize with no explanation.

This video shows how the actions of just one car can create a jam in just moments. No accidents, no lane-changing, no shifting from four lanes to three. It's amazing to watch.