Could insects hold the key to traffic management in the future. Some seem to think so considering the efficiency that bugs like ants manage to move in large numbers with few traffic jams. The newest idea is to have a sensor that communicates with the cars around you and manages traffic flow. From Mashable:

It’s called a “virtual” traffic lights because instead of the lights being at intersections, they’re located in each car, on windshield. The algorithm uses information collected from GPS devices, short-range communicators and other sensors to manage whether a driver sees a green, yellow or red light on her windshield.

In simulations, the algorithm managed the flow of cars in a way similar to how insects manage themselves. In ant and terminte colonies, the large group always gets to go first.

“In such self-organizing biological systems, the colony can perform all the vital functions it needs (such as foraging, moving, adjusting to changing environmental conditions, protecting itself from predators, etc.) through the cooperation of the members of its colony,” Tonguz explained in an email to DNews.

As soon as the biggest group cleared out, the next group was allowed to go.

Through the simulations, the scientists found that traffic drive time was reduced for urban commuters by 40-60%. The newest set of algorithms being tested will also take into account pedestrians and cyclists in the flow of traffic.