The invention addresses the disadvantage of automated vehicle traffic management systems by providing a solution for predicting and avoiding traffic congestion before the congestion is experienced. The invention includes a decentralized mechanism for predicting congestion. An exemplary embodiment of the invention uses a system of sensors to determine current traffic flow; the sensors communicate their state to a network of servers and then an algorithm is applied to the collected data to predict traffic congestion; upon detection of congestion, signals are communicated to the system controllers to prevent the traffic congestion.