An improved car-following model considering the influence of optimal velocity for leading vehicle

In the paper, an improved car-following model based on the full velocity difference model considering the influence of optimal velocity for leading vehicle on a single-lane road is proposed. The linear stability condition of the model is obtained by applying the linear stability theory. Through nonlinear analysis, the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau (TDGL) equation and the modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation are derived to describe the traffic flow near the critical point. In addition, the connection between the TDGL and the mKdV equations is also given. Good agreement between the simulation and the theoretical results shows that the improved model can be enhanced the stability of traffic flow.