macroscopic traffic model

A macroscopic traffic model views traffic flow like a fluid, focusing on overall patterns rather than individual vehicles. It uses variables such as vehicle density (cars per mile), flow rate (cars passing a point per hour), and average speed to describe how traffic behaves on roads. These models help predict congestion, optimize traffic management, and improve road design by understanding how these quantities interact dynamically over time and space, much like how engineers analyze water flowing in a pipe system.