What are ghost tacos? Why do they occur? How to avoid them?

You are on a highway, with heavy traffic, but driving smoothly. But suddenly, out of nowhere, you find yourself in a situation that requires you to slow down or even stop the vehicle. A few minutes later, for no apparent reason, the traffic jams clear up and everything returns to normal. Has this happened to you? Yes of course.

The question of what could have caused the traffic jams, if there were no exits or accidents, always arises once the normal flow of traffic has been restored. Why does traffic suddenly slow down and then return to normal? This is a question that has a logical explanation behind it, Even if it doesn’t seem like it.

First of all, of course, it must be said that this phenomenon is known as “ghost taco” and it’s one of the most common situations while driving, and also the one that exasperates drivers the most. And the fact is that not knowing the reason for traffic jams always makes the situation even more desperate. That being said, why do they occur?

Well, our driving is influenced by multiple variables, including the speed at which we drive, road conditions, weather conditions, unforeseen events and, of course, our ability to react. So, a small distraction or driving incident by a single driver, no matter how small, will trigger a chain reaction or what is also called the butterfly effect, which will lead to a phantom accident.

The Mathematical Society of Traffic Flow (or Mathematical Society of Traffic Flow, as it is known in English, at Nagoya University, Japan) demonstrated years ago in an experiment how this type of traffic jam is formed. Basically, when one of the drivers reduces their driving speed, because they get lost or because they see an obstacle that forces them to brake, their reaction causes the driver behind them to brake as well.

This chain of consequences accumulates from one driver to the next until finally traffic stops completely. Once the cars in front of the line return to normal speed, traffic flow resumes.

It should be noted that the mathematical explanation that solves the mystery of phantom traffic jams is based on fluid dynamics. If there is a number of vehicles on the road, there is a small change in conditions, for example a slight reduction in speed, it can be converted into the motive for which the cars are owned, included, and owned. walking.

The conditions that influence the possibility of a phantom traffic jam forming are mainly the number of vehicles on the road, the reaction ability of each driver and, of course, the safety distance between them. In other words, by maintaining an adequate safety distance and a constant speed, the possibility of creating these phantom traffic jams could be reduced.

The phantom traffic jam starts from the point where this critical density of cars is created backwards, potentially affecting miles and miles of road. When the traffic disruption eventually reaches a point where vehicle volume is lower, the traffic jams disappear and normal traffic returns.

“Phantom spikes are a phenomenon derived from the driver’s lack of concentration or bad maneuvers in traffic: poorly marked overtaking or not maintaining the appropriate distance with the vehicle in front generates this chain effect that ends up generate these momentary cramps.” argues Luz Infante, executive secretary of Conaset.

“If cars travel at an adequate speed, maintaining the distance between vehicles, this situation should not occur. But if a bad maneuver is made, these traffic jams occur, which are the least of the consequences of these bad maneuvers, because such behavior can also lead to a road accident with fatal consequences,” he emphasizes.