Initiative details
REMOVING TRAFFIC CONGESTION
We conducted an experiment at the JRC (Ispra, Italy) in a controlled traffic environment to ensure safety. The test consisted of a platoon of vehicles with the following configuration:
A first vehicle with a human driver following his usual behaviour on the road.
A second vehicle equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
Several conventional drivers keeping their safe distance.
Multiple tests were conducted with different groups of drivers, who were given inertial driving training.
The results have been surprising:
✅ Increased road safety.
✅ Significant reduction of traffic jams (better mobility).
✅ Lower fuel consumption and reduced pollutant emissions.
✅ More relaxed driving and less stress for drivers.
We conducted an experiment at the JRC (Ispra, Italy) in a controlled traffic environment to ensure safety. The test consisted of a platoon of vehicles with the following configuration:
A first vehicle with a human driver following his usual behaviour on the road.
A second vehicle equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
Several conventional drivers keeping their safe distance.
Multiple tests were conducted with different groups of drivers, who were given inertial driving training.
The results have been surprising:
✅ Increased road safety.
✅ Significant reduction of traffic jams (better mobility).
✅ Lower fuel consumption and reduced pollutant emissions.
✅ More relaxed driving and less stress for drivers.
Initiative date
to
Who was/is your target audience?
Public authorities
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Company employees
Car drivers – professional
Topic
Education in school or in community organizations
Provide alternative solutions
Training
Organisation details
IMPACTWARE SL
Enterprise
Spain
MADRID
Contact name
OSCAR MELCHOR GALAN
Telephone number
+34722458030
oscar.melchor@impactware.com
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
· ________________________________________
PARTNERS
The following organisations and entities have contributed to the development and execution of the experiment:
1️⃣ European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy.
- Provided the physical support for the experiment by providing the necessary road space.
- Facilitated the presence of controllers and police officers to ensure a safe procedure.
2️⃣ University of Zaragoza, Spain
- Designed and analysed the system from an engineering perspective, addressing both the mathematical aspects and its real-world application.
3️⃣ Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
- Developed similar functions to those of the University of Zaragoza, contributing to the conceptual and practical analysis.
4️⃣ Impactware S.L., Spain
- Provided expertise in traffic psychology, development of equations and applied techniques.
- Developed a functional and distributed web simulator for training and experimentation.
PARTNERS
The following organisations and entities have contributed to the development and execution of the experiment:
1️⃣ European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy.
- Provided the physical support for the experiment by providing the necessary road space.
- Facilitated the presence of controllers and police officers to ensure a safe procedure.
2️⃣ University of Zaragoza, Spain
- Designed and analysed the system from an engineering perspective, addressing both the mathematical aspects and its real-world application.
3️⃣ Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
- Developed similar functions to those of the University of Zaragoza, contributing to the conceptual and practical analysis.
4️⃣ Impactware S.L., Spain
- Provided expertise in traffic psychology, development of equations and applied techniques.
- Developed a functional and distributed web simulator for training and experimentation.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
DISCLOSURE
We have disseminated the system among different groups linked to the world of driving, including:
Driving schools.
Delivery services.
Taxi drivers.
Lorry and bus drivers.
Workers who use their vehicles for personal or professional journeys.
All of them have experienced the same improvements observed in the experiment, confirming the benefits of the system in real situations.
We have disseminated the system among different groups linked to the world of driving, including:
Driving schools.
Delivery services.
Taxi drivers.
Lorry and bus drivers.
Workers who use their vehicles for personal or professional journeys.
All of them have experienced the same improvements observed in the experiment, confirming the benefits of the system in real situations.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
CHALLENGES
The biggest challenge has been to change the mental ‘chip’ of drivers, breaking with years of acquired habits, both in driving schools and on the road itself. Most of these habits lacked real knowledge of traffic dynamics.
We have managed to get one driver out of a traffic jam, albeit temporarily (as, logically, he eventually retrained). Moreover, one of our trainees, a traffic manager who was initially sceptical about the effectiveness of our simulator, got through three traffic jams without stopping his vehicle on the first day after the training.
There are many examples like this. More and more drivers have experienced the benefits of the system, but for the change to be definitive, it is essential that this training is integrated into formal education.
The biggest challenge has been to change the mental ‘chip’ of drivers, breaking with years of acquired habits, both in driving schools and on the road itself. Most of these habits lacked real knowledge of traffic dynamics.
We have managed to get one driver out of a traffic jam, albeit temporarily (as, logically, he eventually retrained). Moreover, one of our trainees, a traffic manager who was initially sceptical about the effectiveness of our simulator, got through three traffic jams without stopping his vehicle on the first day after the training.
There are many examples like this. More and more drivers have experienced the benefits of the system, but for the change to be definitive, it is essential that this training is integrated into formal education.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
RESULTS
The evaluation of the results has been divided into two areas:
1️⃣ In the experiment itself: The behaviour of the same drivers before and after the training was compared.
2️⃣ In real traffic: The effects were analysed when drivers applied the techniques learned in a real environment.
✅ Main conclusions
🔹 **First conclusion: A key finding**.
The vehicle with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) does not understand the traffic dynamics and simply amplifies backwards the impulsive movements of the lead vehicle. This phenomenon is extrapolable to autonomous vehicles and should be considered in future traffic regulations.
🔹 **Second conclusion: High impact with minimum investment**.
The benefit/effort ratio is exceptional: with very few resources, time and money (thanks to the use of a web simulator), the results have been spectacular in all areas:
✅ Increased road safety**, both front and rear.
✅ Improved mobility**, reducing traffic jams.
✅ Reduced fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
✅ Reduced stress and anxiety at the wheel.
✅ Optimisation of road space.
Ultimately, training makes it possible to
✅ eliminate the phantom traffic jams
✅ which are responsible for so many problems in everyday traffic.
The evaluation of the results has been divided into two areas:
1️⃣ In the experiment itself: The behaviour of the same drivers before and after the training was compared.
2️⃣ In real traffic: The effects were analysed when drivers applied the techniques learned in a real environment.
✅ Main conclusions
🔹 **First conclusion: A key finding**.
The vehicle with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) does not understand the traffic dynamics and simply amplifies backwards the impulsive movements of the lead vehicle. This phenomenon is extrapolable to autonomous vehicles and should be considered in future traffic regulations.
🔹 **Second conclusion: High impact with minimum investment**.
The benefit/effort ratio is exceptional: with very few resources, time and money (thanks to the use of a web simulator), the results have been spectacular in all areas:
✅ Increased road safety**, both front and rear.
✅ Improved mobility**, reducing traffic jams.
✅ Reduced fuel consumption and pollutant emissions.
✅ Reduced stress and anxiety at the wheel.
✅ Optimisation of road space.
Ultimately, training makes it possible to
✅ eliminate the phantom traffic jams
✅ which are responsible for so many problems in everyday traffic.
What has been the effect of the activities?
EFFECT
We are delighted to see how easy it has been to transfer the improvements of the training to any driver, professional or not.
We have received numerous testimonials from people who say that their driving experience has changed completely. To know that our training has had such a positive impact on the lives of so many drivers is without doubt the greatest success we could have achieved.
And, although it goes without saying, we are very proud of it.
We are delighted to see how easy it has been to transfer the improvements of the training to any driver, professional or not.
We have received numerous testimonials from people who say that their driving experience has changed completely. To know that our training has had such a positive impact on the lives of so many drivers is without doubt the greatest success we could have achieved.
And, although it goes without saying, we are very proud of it.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
To avoid repeating what has already been said, we will summarise it in a single sentence:
🔹 Drivers who have learned this technique are already recognised for their ability to dissolve phantom traffic jams.
Today they are one in ten thousand, but soon they will be one in a thousand, and later, one in a hundred. With that, many of the traffic jams that we now consider ‘unavoidable’ will become just a bad memory.
🔹 Drivers who have learned this technique are already recognised for their ability to dissolve phantom traffic jams.
Today they are one in ten thousand, but soon they will be one in a thousand, and later, one in a hundred. With that, many of the traffic jams that we now consider ‘unavoidable’ will become just a bad memory.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS
We have published the results in:
- The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).
- Higher Schools of Civil Engineering.
- Occupational Risk Prevention Companies.
- Driver training centres.
- Guilds and associations in the driving sector.
We have published the results in:
- The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).
- Higher Schools of Civil Engineering.
- Occupational Risk Prevention Companies.
- Driver training centres.
- Guilds and associations in the driving sector.
