Can Smart Cars Help Alleviate Traffic in Atlanta?
Our Car Accident Attorneys in Atlanta Discuss: Can Smart Cars Help Alleviate Traffic in Atlanta?
Motorists in Atlanta well know how one fender-bender or some small, seemingly insignificant incident can cause major backups and delays. The problems grow exponentially worse if there is a major incident. Gridlock quickly sets in and tests the bounds of patience – and sanity – as traffic makes people late for work, school, doctors' appointments, and the like. Some say technology can help alleviate traffic congestion while making our ride safer. The Atlanta car accident lawyers with Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law examine the notion that technology might be able to make traffic flow a little easier.
When discussion technology relating to traffic jams, many people might think that checking the local TV news or radio stations to hear that traffic has come to a standstill in and around Metropolitan Atlanta. Other people might check GDOT's website or call 511 to get the most up-to-date information on traffic. Still, others might consult smartphone map applications like Google maps, Apple maps, or Waze to plan their harrowing drive to their destination.
These sources of information are helpful to the extent that one can plan their way around a significant problem. Some problems are impossible to avoid. For example, during the early morning hours of August 31, 2017, a man was killed in a car wreck on I-20 west in DeKalb County. The man driving the speeding car struck two other vehicles before coming to rest. The man succumbed to his injuries. At the time of the crash, witnesses stated that the other two cars struck by the speeding vehicle were slowing down in response to another accident on I-20. The fatal accident occurred just before the sun came up.
Cars began to stack up on I-20 as commuters started the morning rush. Reports indicate that from 4:45 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. traffic did not move from the Mall area to I-285. First responders and GDOT personnel had to close I-20 west completely as they treated the injured and cleared the scene of debris. Authorities reopened I-20 to traffic around 7:30 a.m. The delays backed up into the surrounding suburbs, and traffic analysts advised commuters to avoid I-20 altogether if possible.
The commuting nightmare on I-20 during the morning of August 31 was created by a person who was driving excessively fast. It is easy to see why such a terrible incident would necessitate closing the road to allow workers to clear the area and police to investigate the cause of the crash. However, there are many days when there are no accidents, yet traffic just builds and builds. An engineer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) thinks he has discovered the antidote to the traffic problem.
The MIT engineer claims that the problem begins with drivers following too closely. Traffic builds up when one car must brake to avoid colliding with the car in front. That action forces the other cars to brake as well. The constant braking creates a wave-like effect that forces all cars behind the first car to slow at the same spot.
The MIT engineer suggests two complementary solutions to the problem. One is within the immediate control of the driver, and the other relies on emerging technologies to combat the problem. The engineer suggests driving at safe distances from the car behind you will prevent braking. Secondly, autonomous technology that senses when your vehicle is too close to the car in front and behind then takes corrective measures to fix the problem will prevent unnecessary traffic jams.
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If you have been involved in any type of accident caused by someone else's negligence, contact Montlick & Associates today for your free consultation. Montlick & Associates has been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and in the Southeast for over 39 years, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. Our car accident lawyers have been representing those who suffer serious injuries throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast for over 39 years.
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Montlick & Associates, Attorneys at Law
17 Executive Park Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
Telephone: 1 (800) LAW-NEED
Telephone: 1 (404) 529-6333