Theintegralpartoftheoptimalvelocitycar-followingmodelsistheoptimalvelocityfunction(OVF),whichcanbederivedfrommeasuredvelocity-spacingdata.ThispaperdiscussesseveralcharacteristicsoftheOVFandpresentsregressionanalysisontwoclassicaldatasets,theLincolnandHollandtunnels,withdifferentpossibleOVFs.ThenumericalsimulationoftheformationoftrafficcongestionisconductedwiththreedifferentheuristicOVFs,demonstratingthatthesefunctionsgiveresultssimilartothoseofthefamousBandoOVF(Bandoetal.,1995).Alsoanalternativemethodispresentfordeterminingthesensitivityandmodelparametersbasedonasinglecardrivingtoafixedbarrier.
