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U.S. NEWS Thursday 24 November 2022
Researchers: AI in connected cars eased rush hour congestion

By TRAVIS LOLLER technology lets the driv-
Associated Press er set a car to cruise at a
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — certain speed, but the car
As millions of people travel automatically slows down
the interstates this Thanks- and speeds up as needed
giving, many will encoun- to keep a safe distance
ter patches of traffic at a from the car in front. In the
standstill for no apparent experiment, the adaptive
reason no construction or cruise control was modified
accident. Researchers say to react to the overall traf-
the problem is you. fic flow including what was
Human drivers just don’t happening far ahead using
do a good job of navigat- artificial intelligence.
ing dense traffic conditions, The cars’ decision-making
but an experiment using ar- occurred on two levels,
tificial intelligence in Nash- Work said. At the cloud lev-
ville last week means help el, information about traffic
could be on the way. In conditions was used to cre-
the experiment, specially ate an overall speed plan.
equipped cars were able That plan was then broad-
to ease rush hour conges- cast to the cars, which
tion on Interstate-24, re- used artificial intelligence
searcher Daniel Work said algorithms to determine
on Tuesday. In addition to Researchers look at live interstate traffic images and data screens Nov. 17, 2022, in Nashville, the best action to take.
lessening driver frustration, Tenn. The researchers were able
Work said less stop-and- Associated Press to evaluate the effect the
go driving means fuel sav- a circular track and asked ues until many cars are at from about 6 a.m. to 9:45 connected cars had on
ings and, by extension, less them to drive at a constant a standstill. Then, as traffic a.m. each morning. Work- morning traffic flow using
pollution. The professor of speed. Before long, traffic clears, the drivers acceler- ing on the premise that if a special 4-mile stretch of
civil and environmental went from a smooth flow to ate too quickly, causing 5% of the cars on the road I-24 outfitted with 300 pole-
engineering at Vanderbilt a series of stops and starts. more braking and yet an- were acting together, they mounted sensors.
University is one of a group “Phantom traffic jams are other jam. “We know that could lessen the preva- The experiment is a project
of engineers and mathe- created by drivers like you one car braking suddenly lence of phantom traf- of the CIRCLES consortium,
maticians from universities and me,” Work explained. can have a huge impact,” fic jams, the researchers a group that includes sev-
around the U.S. who have One person taps the brakes Work said. Last week’s ex- equipped those 100 cars eral automakers and the
been studying the problem for whatever reason. The periment showed that a to communicate wirelessly, U.S. Energy and Transpor-
of phantom traffic jams af- person behind them takes few cars driving slowly and sending traffic information tation departments. Other
ter a simple experiment in a second to respond and steadily could have an im- back and forth. lead researchers are based
Japan a dozen years ago has to brake even hard- pact as well, for the better. They also took advantage at the University of Califor-
showed how they devel- er. The next person has to The experiment utilized 100 of the adaptive cruise con- nia, Berkeley; Temple Uni-
op. Researchers there put brake even harder. The cars that travelled in loops trol that is already an option versity; and Rutgers Univer-
about 20 human drivers on wave of braking contin- on a 15-mile section of I-24 on many new vehicles. This sity-Camden. q

GOP’s McCarthy threatens to impeach Mayorkas over border

By LISA MASCARO Joe Biden’s administration ciary Committee and Rep. is expected to be a slim, flank lawmakers, who are
AP Congressional Corre- accountable for border se- James Comer, R-Ky., at the few-seat majority. eager to begin impeach-
spondent curity. Oversight Committee to The California Republican ment proceedings against
WASHINGTON (AP) — “If Secretary Mayorkas open investigations. particularly needs votes Mayorkas and other Biden
House Republican leader does not resign, House Re- McCarthy said he expects from his conservative right- administration officials.q
Kevin McCarthy on Tues- publicans will investigate Mayorkas’ resignation by
day called on Homeland every order, every action Jan. 3, when the new Con-
Security Secretary Alejan- and every failure to de- gress convenes. Investiga-
dro Mayorkas to resign termine whether we can tions would begin on day
over management of the begin an impeachment in- one, he said. “Enough is
U.S. southern border with quiry,” McCarthy said at a enough,” he said.
Mexico, warning that the press conference in El Paso, House Republicans have
new House GOP majority Texas. put border security among
will open investigations that “This investigation could their top priorities and May-
could lead to impeach- lead to an impeachment orkas among their top offi-
ment proceedings. inquiry,” he said. cials to investigate and try
McCarthy, who is posi- Standing with fellow House to remove from office, po-
tioned to become the new Republicans mostly from tentially through impeach-
House speaker when the Texas, McCarthy said he ment.
new Congress convenes in had spoken with the in- McCarthy has not yet se-
January, said the Repub- coming chairmen of the cured the votes from House
lican majority would use relevant investigatory com- Republicans to become
“the power of the purse mittees and given his “full speaker, and he is working House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, of Calif., talks to
and the power of the sub- support” to Rep. Jim Jor- swiftly to shore up support reporters, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
poena” to hold President dan, R-Ohio, at the Judi- before the vote from what Associated Press