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Ford Adaptive Cruise Control vs Phantom Traffic

3,818 views · Published 4 July 2018 · 10:16 · Indexed 30 October 2026

Channel: Motorward · 2018 · Autos & Vehicles

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Ford shows how their clever Adaptive Cruise Control can fight and effectively eliminate phantom traffic jams...

Ford and Vanderbilt University traffic researchers compared the performance of Ford adaptive cruise control to drivers not using the technology in traffic situations. In scenarios most closely simulating normal traffic, the ACC systems successfully suppressed a phantom traffic jam

The team conducted what is believed to be the largest, most realistic demonstration of its kind, showing that existing technology could help minimize phantom traffic jams, which happen for seemingly no reason and can cause hazardous traffic backups.

On a closed Ford test track, 36 drivers simulated normal highway traffic using adaptive cruise control, which can automatically slow down and speed up to keep pace with the car in front without getting fatigued or distracted. Those drivers then drove the same course, but without the technology – meaning they had to manually brake and accelerate the vehicle.

The results: vehicles using adaptive cruise control reduced the impact of a braking event more than those vehicles without the activated technology. Even with just one in three vehicles using adaptive cruise control, the test yielded similar traffic-busting benefits. 

“A fun Fourth of July family road trip can quickly become irritating when traffic slows to a crawl – especially once you learn there was no reason for the gridlock,” said Michael Kane, supervisor, Ford Co-Pilot360 Technology. “We encourage Ford owners who have adaptive cruise control to use it during their summer travels in the hope this smart technology today can be that first step to help ease commutes.”

Ford currently offers adaptive cruise control on 71 percent of U.S. models.

“For years, traffic researchers and engineers have been looking to smart vehicle technologies to reduce traffic congestion, whether that’s vehicles that talk to each other or vehicles that can predict the road ahead,” said Daniel Work, civil engineering professor at Vanderbilt University. “This demonstration was a unique opportunity to understand how commercially-available active driver-assist technologies can be used to positively influence traffic flow.”

Work and lead PhD researcher, Raphael Stern, have been working with the support of the National Science Foundation to determine how smart technologies can provide a pathway to fewer traffic snarls – and reduced overall fuel consumption. They plan on publishing the results of the Ford demonstration in an upcoming academic journal.

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