Continuous simulation of a car-following equation

Traffic behavior along an urban roadway is explored using a continuous simulation model of a leader-follower pair of vehicles. The model employs a non-linear car-following differential equation that characterizes the motion of the pair. The implementation of the conceptual model is programmed in the continuous simulation language, MIMIC. In analyzing the results, an emphasis is placed on the formulation of a simple exponential expression that describes the pair motion. This exponential formula may replace the traditional differential equation in sketching pair behavior and platoon dispersion in traffic systems and simulation models.