Traffic

High school (ages 12+)
Transportation

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/traffic

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the disruptive phenomena?Road construction, collisions, and debris can cause traffic waves, congestion, and gridlock
2. Why do we need traffic lights and signs?Traffic lights, cones, and signs tell drivers when to stop, go, or turn. They help keep traffic moving smoothly and prevent accidents.
3. What happens when a road is closed or has a big accident?When a road is blocked, traffic can slow down or stop. This can create a traffic wave that moves backward and sometimes causes a full gridlock.

Right-of-way: The legal right of a vehicle or pedestrian to proceed before another.
Traffic Waves: A phenomenon on busy freeways where a minor disruption causes a persistent slowdown that propagates backward.
Gridlock: A severe traffic congestion where intersecting streets become blocked, preventing any movement.
Queuing Theory: A mathematical study of waiting lines or queues, applied to traffic flow analysis.