A Multi-Agent Model for Asocial Behavior in Freeway Traffic

Abstract

Slow traffic is a major environmental and economic problem, especially in crowded or developing cities. Often, slow traffic is blamed on “selfish” drivers that drive aggressively at the expense of others on the road. This research uses a multi-agent simulation to observe the effects of asocial behavior on a straight three-lane highway without bottlenecks or blockages. Results show that asocial behavior only benefits cars if they can move with instant reaction times, and has little to no benefit when even a 0.5s reaction time is introduced. Additionally, traffic jams were observed in the simulation, despite the lack of blockages on the road. These “phantom” jams persisted longer when cars had a longer reaction time.