Dr. Jorge Laval, assistant professor of transportation systems engineering, was recently recognized for his research into aggressive and timid drivers.  While the underlying cause of a traffic jam can vary, Dr. Laval shows that drivers' reactions in the cars behind are the cause of traffic slowing to a halt.  Laval and Ludovic Leclercq of Université de Lyon in France point to aggressive and timid driving behavior as a safety hazard.

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