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New Traffic Law Explains Slow Cars Overtaking Fast Ones

4/1/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Dr. Conor Boland of Dublin City University developed the Voorhees law of traffic to explain why slower cars catch up to faster ones at traffic lights, published in Royal Society Open Science.
The research shows the perceived inevitability is illusory and that spacing remains unchanged on average after a red light.
Professor Kit Yates of the University of Bath supports findings but notes assumptions in the model about constant speeds.

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Story summary

Dr. Conor Boland of Dublin City University developed the Voorhees law of traffic to explain why slower cars catch up to faster ones at traffic lights, published in Royal Society Open Science.
The research shows the perceived inevitability is illusory and that spacing remains unchanged on average after a red light.
Professor Kit Yates of the University of Bath supports findings but notes assumptions in the model about constant speeds.