Method for the automatic monitoring of traffic including the analysis of back-up dynamics

Method for automatically monitoring traffic comprising:

• recording traffic measurement data at several measuring points of a traffic network;
• and
• a continuously estimating time-dependent positions x.sub.1 and x.sub.r of an upstream back-up flank and a downstream back-up flank, respectively, based on the relationships ##EQU6## wherein (i) q.sub.min is traffic flow in the back-up and p.sub.max is traffic density in the back-up determined according to the equation ##EQU7## with an Fz number of different vehicle types of a different average length L.sub.Fz participating with the respective proportions A.sub.Fz ;
• (ii) t.sub.0 is a time at which traffic measuring data recorded at a first measuring point with a location coordinate x=0 indicate that the upstream back-up flank has reached this measuring point;
• (iii) t.sub.1 is the point in time at which the traffic measuring data recorded at the first measuring point indicate that the downstream back-up flank has reached this measuring point;
• (iv) q.sub.out and w.sub.max are flow and average vehicle speed of the traffic at the respective first measuring point;
• and
• (v) g.sub.0 and w.sub.0 are flow and average vehicle speed of the traffic at a respective second measuring point situated upstream of the upstream back-up flank.