Getting Rid Of Traffic Lights And Traffic Signs To Make Everyone Safer
from the figure-that-one-out dept
It's been a while since we've talked about this topic, but it's one that fascinates me. Back in early 2004, we wrote about a movement under way to have cities remove traffic lights and traffic signs to make the roads safer. You also open up the roads not just to cars, but to bikers and pedestrians as well. It sounds completely counter-intuitive, since those things are supposed to make the roadways safer and more efficient -- but city planners have found the opposite to be true. When you remove all of the guidance, it makes people (and that includes the bikers and pedestrians as well) much more cautious and careful -- so they tend to make fewer dangerous moves. On top of that, it actually makes the traffic flow much more smoothly, allowing people to get where they're going much faster, even if they drive slower. Because they have fewer full stops and long waits to deal with, it's actually much more efficient. There was another article later that year that made the same point, but we haven't heard much about it recently. Jeff Nolan points us to a more recent article that examines the situation in a Dutch town (which was also profiled in the earlier articles), saying that it's been working great. The number of severe traffic accidents has dropped (no deaths since they removed the traffic lights) and people say they get places much faster. They admit that it's confusing for newcomers, but that helps remind everyone else to continue to drive/walk/bike carefully and safely. Jeff wonders if the same counter-intuitive logic might also apply to computer security -- but that might be trickier. With driving, at least everyone needs to pass some sort of licensing exam where they should at least learn the basics of safe driving. While some have suggested similar things for computer users, it's still not the case. Also, the "penalty" for unsafe driving is much more immediate and potentially much more serious and painful. So, the incentives are much stronger to remain safe. Either way, it remains a fascinating concept, though, it still hasn't caught on in that many places.
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speed bumps work the same way
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Not for every place...
I live in Kansas City, MO. and when I'm trying to get around town during the typical workday, there are way too many intersections where cars are rolling past at a decent clip, and they're so close together that I know I'd be waiting to make a left turn for an hour or more without a traffic light there to give me the needed break.
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Re:
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But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
There, fixed that for you.
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Re: Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Re: But you're forgetting
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Traffic light removal?
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Lights go out
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Re: Lights go out
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Yes - it's horrendous then
I would like to see some smaller American cities try it out first, and see what types of cities and traffic densities will work.
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hmmm...
Have you ever been to a four way stop in this country? Whoever is talking on the cell phone goes first because they don't stop, then whoever has the biggest balls goes next to hell with anyone else there first, this is also usually the person behind the cell phone user. Then the 2 people facing each other, turning right, set and wait to see which one is going to go first.
Number 3, I feel ya, Columbus here. And every weekday I have that "What the hell are you doing?" moment.
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Re: hmmm...
People in cars everywhere behave like idiots because they feel invincible in their steel boxes, me included. However, most of the population does not need to drive and therefore doesn't.
What the Germans do have over anyone else is amazing lane discipline, but this has nothing to do with training and everything to do with their culture.
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Re: Re: hmmm...
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Re: hmmm...
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stop lights
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Try New Guinea
If you don't believe me, then check the US Embassy-issued travel advisory.
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Flowing like water
People DO drive more slowly and more aware because they know that any vehicle may make any type of maneuver at any time coming from anywhere - and they make allowances for that, courteously and patiently. I'm continuously amazed.
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To many cars
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Speed bumps :D
But what the hell are you talking about "hmm..", has it been a long time since you've gotten your license?
Nowadays, there is driver's ed (30 hours class time), a written test, 10 hours of drive time with an instructor, a short eye exam and thats just for a permit. Then you have to log 35 hours with an adult who has a license, and wait at least 6 months before you can send in for a road test. The road test is pretty strict- pass or fail basis, one wrong move equals fail.
The tests used to be 10 minutes long, a little bit of driving, but now its 25 minutes long, and they make sure you can do all the right moves.
Dihce, I agree with you, PEOPLE as a whole are arrogant and idiotic- but you better believe that applies to more than just us [Americans].
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Re: Speed bumps :D -hmm...
It is not one wrong move equals fail either, else we would not have a lot of the drivers we have on the road.
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Re: Speed bumps :D
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Re: Speed bumps :D
What the hell are you talking about? It's not even a quarter as hard as you describe it. I recently got my license - for the permit it took 10 hours of classtime and 3 hours behind the wheel, and that's exaggerating, a lot; that was followed by a computer-based multiple-choice test consisting of 15-25 questions, as soon as you get at least 70% right, you pass; if you don't know an answer you can skip the question and maybe you'll be asked it again if you miss too many. There was no logging of hours with an adult, and you automatically get the license in those 6 months (all you need at that point is an eye exam).
I did not need a road test from the dmv at all to get my license, and I've been driving for 2 years. It is entirely TOO easy - but I am european, I know how things are in germany, and I know how to DRIVE skillfully, beyond the minimum that is required of me; yet to be in an accident or pulled over for any reason.
This is how it works in texas, but it varies from state-to-state. Although, not much.
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Re: Speed bumps :D
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profoundly retarded
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Re: profoundly retarded
Actually, as I mentioned in the earlier post, I learned to drive in and around New York City... and I actually see that at work there. People in NYC tend not to pay attention to the street signs or stop lights, but somehow it actually works much better. I think it's because everyone is hyper-aware of their surroundings. It just works.
As for the rest of your insults, that sounds nice, but the fact that this is working suggests that it's not as "retarded" as you suggest. Why is it that people resort to personal insults when they don't want to bother actually looking at what's happening?
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Re: Re: profoundly retarded
Plus...have you SEEN NY City traffic? (Honestly, I feel you are lying about growing up there.) IT is anything BUT smooth.
There is not another city in the world that would WANT what NY City has.
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Re: Re: Re: profoundly retarded
An inexpensive, effective mass transit system?
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Re: Re: Re: profoundly retarded
I agree with Mike, by enlarge, New Yorkers see traffic controls as advisory at best. Sure they stop at most red lights, but that's not the only traffic control directive, it's just the only one anyone pays attention to.
Chris.
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Re: Re: profoundly retarded
Please talk with a firefighter as I have. Or visit the site of a wreck where the drivers have ignored the signs (if there were any). In my neighborhood alone, there have been more than a dozen accidents at unsigned residential intersections in the last few years alone. Four people have died, and several injured, one of them an eight year old boy who will have epileptic seizures for the rest of his life because the other driver was on the phone and not driving “cautiously”. In addition, these are 25 mile an hour zones, I cannot imagine how bad it would be on the highways.
This is not even counting the children who are hit on their bikes every year by drivers not paying attention.
What would you suggest for railroad crossings? No gates? “Let’s see if we can beat the train today Billy.”
I am not calling you names here, just presenting the facts. Let’s look at this scientifically. You have stated one town is doing this and it is working. Well then, let’s just convert the entire US traffic system based upon this one example. Oh, I forgot, there was that one study done, well that should solidify the masses opinions.
I applaud your efforts to make a change, and be willing to voice them when they could be scrutinized. However, I do think a little more research should have been done on this topic.
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Re: Re: profoundly retarded
I.e. stupidest?, retarded? (you use that word and are suppose to be in the psychology business?)
It was just an idea and everyone shot it down. Just because someone has an idea doesn't mean it's going to come true. Seeing how everyone reacted, maybe you guy's disagree with this decision because you yourselfs have no confidence in your driving skills.
Just remember it was nothing more than an idea.
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Re: profoundly retarded
On the other hand, having driven in Boston and Providence, I can say that something like this would be much more easily done in a smaller city such as Providence. I imagine they'd have to work out the details (regardless of location), but it could probably be implemented in an effective way.
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Re: Re: profoundly retarded
There is currently no personal responsibility now, this won't change that one bit.
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Re: profoundly retarded
sorry for the typo(s) in my post above...
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Ultimate freedom is total chaos.Thats why law and "guidance" exists in the first place.
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Not in South Florida
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Maybe some video will show better what it's like
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2063667852598904740&q=traffic+india
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Re: Maybe some video will show better what it's li
For the American machine to function like that would require a social change. Perhaps a needed change. My wife as a schoolteacher claims demonstratiions of respect are lost in our youth & society. To function without the road rules requires the generation of socially accepted rules for getting from one place to another.
Sure we are still human and there will be an ass behind the wheel somewhere. It may even be me once in a while ignoring the socially approved methods. Removing the rules though might raise the bar for us all.
Now that we are driving slower & getting places faster in smaller vehicles are we saving fossil fuel?
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Re: Maybe some video will show better what it's li
Doesn't really seem like such a good idea now, does it?
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one word...
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Re: one word...
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Traffic Circles Work
I noticed in Bejing how traffic is always moving and no one honks or gets hurt. People on bikes and in cars come very close but never touch as everyone knows the rule, just keep it moving without stopping even if it requres going real slow.
Traffic Circles do work it's just here in the U.S. everything has to be regulated to be legal.
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uh..
I already shudder just thinking about if one of the lights gets disconnected from the system and goes into standby mode (red lights blinking, stop sign mode)
This would make a 10 minute work commute 30-40 minutes for sure
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Re: uh..
Maybe we can learn somthing from the people movers themselves.EH!
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las vegas
the benefit of removing all traffic control in this town would be that after laying low for 30 days, only 10% of the population would survive. this would theoretically make the roads much safer, drive down housing prices, reduce unemployment and increase wages all at once.
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Re: Roundabouts
> must turn right into a circle left and you get out at your
> street. no problems even in a double lane round about
I agree. Roundabouts (as opposed to older-style American traffic circles which are a different thing) are found all over various British commonwealth nations, and rapidly increasing in popularity for new residential developments in the US. They're superior to lights because of their continuous incremental action and don't involve much thinking to use: you just have to yield before entering and that's it (no stopping or lane changing after that like with some traffic circles require). You can theoretically make them larger than two lanes (on a four lane road) without compromising the ease of use: right lane for going right or ahead, middle lanes for going ahead only, and left lane for going left, round or ahead. The trade-off is that they're more wasteful of real estate than lights.
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Re: Re: Roundabouts
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Please
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wrong
I have several traffic simulation programs that are not commercially available, as I have done this very thing for a living. I've run hundreds of simulations for dozens of traffic scenarios for difffernet types of intersections.
Guess what? ZERO times out of those hundreds of simulations has it been determined that no light is a better alternative. There are always more accidents, FAR more delays, etc.
Ooooh, but one moron who got a degree and therefore thingks he is a city planner said otherwise! Right.
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Re: wrong
http://www.ecoplan.org/wtpp/general/monderman-details.htm#bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/w iki/Hans_Monderman
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Hahaha... they are kidding right?
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Ever been to NYC or LA or Atlanta
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Then I can just use my horn to make everyone get the hell out of the way, right?
Oh, I guess that only applies down here in S.FL.
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As far as comment #2 goes, what the heck does being american have to do with driving and being an "arrogant idiotic children" ? That doesn't make sense. Every country has issues, the french, germans, chinese, everyone. It is only because people like you are flooded with american movies that you are programmed by hollywood and also be our often one sided news media that you have this thought. sure we have many idiots, but your country has you!
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roads without rules
When a traffic light goes out here in Tucson, traffic gets snarled up but that could be because we rely on the lights and suddenly all is chaos but if ALL the rules were lifted then we would know that our saftey is in our own hands. Perhaps that is the basic issue, we entrust our saftey to the rules and don't take responsability for it ourselves.
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Hahahaha
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Bradley Fighting Vehicle Anyone?
Then why not get a bradley fighting vehicle!!!
It can pretty much go anywhere...even over other vehicles!
And accidents?
You won't even feel it as you crush the offending car!
And for the odd miscreant who gets ticked off when you cut them off...a fifty caliber machine gun on top can reduce any problem serious or mundane!!
And with the democrats having taken over congress you have a unprecedented deal!! Something like this usually costs the military millions of dollars. But due to future price cuts you can get your very own fully equipped bradley fighting vehicle for only $60,000!!!
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Re: Bradley Fighting Vehicle Anyone?
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Fun with Traffic
The most fun I've ever had driving is in a city that didn't have to remove traffic lights and signs - - - much of the city is growing so fast they haven't put them in: Shenzhen, China.
Every 100 yards, another accident. Chaos. But very exciting. Sorta like Crazy Taxi, but real. Really.
Lionel
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Fun with Traffic
The most fun I've ever had driving is in a city that didn't have to remove traffic lights and signs - - - much of the city is growing so fast they haven't put them in: Shenzhen, China.
Every 100 yards, another accident. Chaos. But very exciting. Sorta like Crazy Taxi, but real. Really.
Lionel
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New Guinea
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_996.html
In short, Don't go there!
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Traffic
It's the idiots that have been driving for a year and suddenly own the road after gaining minimal confidence.
While we're at it, lets remove gun laws. This way every can carry a weapon and someone thinking of committing a crime will think twice.
That's dripping with sarcasm if anyone didn't catch on.
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Traffic
It's the idiots that have been driving for a year and suddenly own the road after gaining minimal confidence.
While we're at it, lets remove gun laws. This way every can carry a weapon and someone thinking of committing a crime will think twice.
That's dripping with sarcasm if anyone didn't catch on.
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Natural Selection
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Getting Rid Of Traffic Lights And Traffic Signs To
I believe that 95% of drivers are good, but the 5% who are bad drivers cause so much trouble for the rest of us, it just seems like most drivers are bad. It's just that there are so many drivers on the road, in a hurry, thinking too much about their own troubles to worry about being careful. And even the best drivers make mistakes occassionally.
"I think a lot problems in our society today are due to lack of personal responsibility." I couldn't agree more! Too many people expect to be taken care of, or look to others to blame for their own actions or mistakes. Whatever happened to personal accountability and taking responsibility for our actions?
And by the way, I think that most Americans are wonderful people, the "bad" ones get all the press. We're mostly just regular people trying to make a living, and raise our kids the best we can. Because we are an economic and military powerhouse, others look for any flaws and sometimes those flaws get blown way out of proportion.
Sooooo, take the traffic lights and signs out? Sure, when more drivers learn to grow up, and think beyond their own noses. I will continue to watch for red light runners before I cross on a green. I will continue to watch out for people who simply do not seem to know who goes first on a 4-way stop and people who don't know what "merge" means, etc. Those little 5% sure do cause a lot of headaches...
Kim
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Re: Re: profoundly retarded
yes mike, how insightful, the variability between the test villages and towns and other cities is so insignificant that this has to be applicable everywhere. it's nice this works in what i assume is a quaint suburban area with rectilinear road layouts, but seriously, these are special cases... this would not work in a major city at all...
to quote mousky above:
You must also know that Mr. Monderman has stated that the approach taken Drachten will not work everywhere. He is by no stretch of the imagination promoting that every city remove traffic lights.
frankly, i'm sick of cargo-cult studies that find a little niche where something counter-intuitive is present and the try to promote it like it's some profound idea that's going to revolutionize everything. BUT what i'm even more sick of is people who interpret studies that don't claim such things and run with it and declare that it's this breakthrough concept, even though there is no suggestive evidence showing that this will be an applicable theory everywhere...
People in NYC tend not to pay attention to the street signs or stop lights, but somehow it actually works much better. I think it's because everyone is hyper-aware of their surroundings. It just works.
that's horrible reasoning mike, stick to economics, the post you made the other day about the importance of zero was rather insightful. people in nyc do tend to pay attention to stop lights, they pay attention to how long it has been red and they are aware that they have a certain amount of time to run the red light, were that light not present people in a hurry, you know, that general asshole doing 70 weaving in and out of lanes, wouldn't take the person who was already at an intersection into regard more so than their rush to get to where they're going. despite this appearance that people aren't paying attention to signs and lights (which i certainly don't see), it's quite the opposite, everyone has a hypersensitivity to how and when they can go that's dictated by their surroundings (as you say), but their surroundings are the signs and lights and how traffic handles those signs and lights (which is why you have so much time after the light turns red to run it) maybe it's been a while since you've driven in ny, but gridlock is not something you'd want to cause, you'll get in more trouble for that than smoking a joint on the side of the street, were people not paying attention to the signs and lights the probability of gridlock would increase dramatically due to the haphazard people i mentioned in my previous post.
just because some very profound things are counter-intuitive (time dilation, spatial contraction due to relativistic principles, wave-particle duality, etc) does not mean that every counter-intuitive idea is amazing or has much merit, in fact it's the opposite, it's rare you find something counter-intuitive that is truly a revolutionizing concept. this certainly isn't one of those. while this is applicable in certain instances it certainly cannot be applied everywhere to get even close to the same effect of where it is currently being applied. to end i'll quote a link that mousky gave...
Nor are shared-space designs appropriate everywhere, like in major urban centers, but only in neighborhoods that meet particular criteria.
Monderman concedes that road design can do only so much. It doesn't change the behavior, for instance, of the 15 percent of drivers who will behave badly no matter what the rules are.
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Re: Re: Re: profoundly retarded
Did I ever say it would work everywhere? No.
You were the one who called it retarded -- an absolute statement. However the fact that it DOES WORK some places proves that you are wrong.
The rest of your comment again focuses on the idea that I said this would work in all cases, which again, I did not say. Please do not make assumptions about stuff I did not say.
does not mean that every counter-intuitive idea is amazing or has much merit
Again, at what point did I ever say that *EVERY* counter-intuitive idea has merit?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: profoundly retarded
To follow up on your comment, it reminds me of Scott Adams well known discussion about people he can't argue with:
Me: Vegetables are good for you.
Induhvidual: That's ridiculous. If you ate a truckload of
vegetables all at once you would die.
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india
I'm not so sure something like this would work in the U.S. though.
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Re: india
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Rules of the Road
I also feel the new cars with Automatic Transmissions and Computerized Braking Systems has taken the true feel out of Driving. With the old Manual Transmissions, you got a better feel for your car and the flow of traffic.
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They do have about two traffic lights and the odd stop sign that is considered *just a suggestion* and there is surprising good flow of traffic.
Many cars have little creases in the 4 corners from nudging into traffic but looking at Balboa Ave. for many hours, I did not see any accidents!!
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: profoundly retarded
this implies that the "movement" suggests that removing traffic lights and traffic signs in cities will make the roads safer. it's a vague statement insofar as whether or not this movement has merit.
It sounds completely counter-intuitive, since those things are supposed to make the roadways safer and more efficient -- but city planners have found the opposite to be true.
"the opposite" has not been found to be true, not in the generalized sense put forth in this statement and implied in the article. it has been found true in specialized circumstances that meet a "particular criteria"
the original statement says there's a movement to remove signs and lights to make roads safer in cities and then the follow up is in agreement implying that removing road signs and lights in cities makes it safer, but this has only been shown in certain circumstances so that claim can not be made.
about Scott Adams' point, it only remotely resembles this argument.
You: Cooking vegetables in cajun spices makes people enjoy them more. They did a taste test in Mississippi and people liked them better so my statement is true.
Me: that's retarded... you can't make that assertion because there are plenty of places where that taste test would fail. here's some examples...
what your intentions of this article were or weren't i'm not sure, but the general implication of it is that removing traffic signs and lights in cities is good, that is a retarded statement... sorry to inform you on this... but i'll once again end with:
Nor are shared-space designs appropriate everywhere, like in major urban centers, but only in neighborhoods that meet particular criteria.
Monderman concedes that road design can do only so much. It doesn't change the behavior, for instance, of the 15 percent of drivers who will behave badly no matter what the rules are.
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why.....
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Driving without stop lights
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Why stop them?
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Of course that would be stupid and way less safe. If the lights were replaced with roundabouts though, it would eventually be safer. In American cities though, it would take years to get used to because most of us don't ever see them and older drivers have more trouble figuring them out. It would just piss people off because they don't want to figure out how to use them and then they would be removed.
Would be a good idea but unless that idea comes with some plan to educate the American citizens and show them how it's safer, it won't work.
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Maybe it's just the fact of the change
The WSJ recently ran an article on how Dutch planners are looking at adding more signage, to try to reduce the sky-high accident rate caused by traffic laws that essentially say the first person to slow down has to yield. I'd like to see how safe the roads are in Drachten in five years. If they're still safer then than they were before, with no major change in the accident rate elsewhere in the country, then you can start trying to convince me that removing lights and signs is a good idea.
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If people really wanted to test this, they would just switch some lights to blinking reds and see how things go. But local traffic authorities can't be bothered to do simple things like that.
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As for most of the above posts........you all write such absolute drivel....you're all complete morons and I have to agree with the opening post....all you Americans are stupid and shouldn't be let near a car let alone a gun if the above is anything to go by.....what a sorry state of affairs.......
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real video in real time
this is the real timing for the traffic video
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bullshit
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Re: ElectricMayhem
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Re: AndrewG
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Re: Re: AndrewG
Actually, no they're saying a lot more than that. But, it also does involve some amount of education, so that people understand what's going on.
It appears that it mostly works when everyone knows what's going on so they all drive carefully.
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it works!!!
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Re: it works!!!
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Lights/no lights and driving styles
Where I live, the cultures seem to cluster into areas. So we have little Italy (well, more than one), little China, little Greece, etc. Driving through each neighbourhood is like a snapshot of the country from which they hail. The Italians pay absolutely no attention to the signs and their traffic flows like a river. There is minimal screaming or honking. Drive through little India and there's no getting anywhere except to the next red light at 15kph and you get cut off every step of the way. Get into the older part of town where there's a major 4-way stop and nobody stops, it flows like crazy and you really have to be on the ball. It actually works more like a directional stop because the North and South people go at the same time and then the East/West people go. They're not patient with people who don't know the rules at that 4-way and I can see how it would intimidate new drivers.
When in doubt, follow the rules otherwise, when in Rome...
I was going to talk a bit about our highways, but it's not worth it. I think we can apply the old saw "good intentions pave the road to hell."
Latest rumour: they were thinking of raising the speed limit on the 401 back up to 70mph/120kph. They aren't going to though because allegedly it would reduce the amount of money they get in speeding tickets. I think that 80% of the people who have licences here would throw up at the thought of going that fast.
My BIG beef is with the driving instructors. Want safer drivers? TEACH THEM HOW TO DRIVE. PREFERABLY IN THE WINTER. (If there's winter in your locale.) I don't know how many driver-ed cars I see go by with the instructor in the passenger seat (death seat) on the phone while their student driver is trying to negotiate on their own with a couple of other students in the back seat talking on their cell phones.
Driving is a privledge not a God-given right. If we could get back to that mentality, I don't think lights/signs would matter.
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roundabouts
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Good Idea
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hahaha
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Doing this in the USA
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Ramblings
Fior bad driving, thers always Cairo, where a Micheral Palin said when he visited there, it sounds like every car has been modified so that the accellerator and brake pedals are permenantly connected to the horn, the roads are about 12 lanes wide and everyone tailgates, but there are no accidents. Then threse Adelaide, OZ, where I have seen one particular driver near my school drive over a footpath get into the left - turn lane at least once a week, and others who work on the principle that a 4WD menas that you can drive where you like, so long as there are no police cars around (you'd be amazed at some of the more unusual manoevres I have seen, like driving through a reserve to get from one road to another, or driving at 70mph on the wriong side of the road, people whio drive through a piece of wasteland to avoid traffic lights (there are so many tyre tracks there it is a joke), and driving on footpaths to save time, a three point turn on Main North Road, a six lane road in rush hourm, when doing anything except going straight forwards at half the spedd limit is amazing, a man tried to drive up a guuided busway, but crashed, another drove straight accross the River Torrens when it was dry to save going over a the nearest bridge, another did another three point turn on the Mian North Road where it is a dual carriageway, then drove back down the centre reservation to the nearest gap in the fence, and then drove over a newly planted tree to get accross). Luckily, there are Stobie poles used to hold up electricity wires, which are a pair of I girders with a load of concrete between them, which do a good jod ob stopping cars and a reasonable job of paralysing the back seat passengers killing thiose in thefront
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I must say it was the BEST rush hour commute I have EVER experienced. Truly, people just did what they should using their best judgement and everyone moved along at a slow and steady pace that averaged MUCH better than normal. It was great.
I'd be all for experimenting with no-traffic-control environments.
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What is the consequence - it takes about 1 hour to travel 10km. This year about a 1000 people have died in traffic accidents etc.
It may all be very well for a Dutch village - but certainly is nonsensical for a city of any substantial size.
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no taffic signals
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no traffic lights
Not to mention that the bus drivers play music as loud as possible so they won't go to sleep....
And don't forget that the cargo trucks have a big sign on the rear. "Please sound your horn when following"...
The drivers are at their speediest after they have hit a goat or cow (or person). They have to escape the wrath of the folks on the street.
And finally, the largest vehicle has the right-of-way.
Other than that, my trips to India have been fairly uneventful.
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no traffic lights
Not to mention that the bus drivers play music as loud as possible so they won't go to sleep....
And don't forget that the cargo trucks have a big sign on the rear. "Please sound your horn when following"...
The drivers are at their speediest after they have hit a goat or cow (or person). They have to escape the wrath of the folks on the street.
And finally, the largest vehicle has the right-of-way.
Other than that, my trips to India have been fairly uneventful.
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England
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Did you read the original?
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Counter intuitive
I once worked on a project where I made the decision to remove the need to 'commit' after executing an Oracle statement. People thought I was mad, but there were fewer 'stupid' incidents, because people were scared shitless to execute deletes and updates, and consequently checked them more thoroughly before execution.
I'm not sure the effect would be very good in very busy situations, but where traffic is relatively light, I'm sure it would work - so long as everyone is aware they are driving in a 'no lights' environment.
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Carrying Capacity
I see that same thing on Detroit area freeways, when eight lanes merge into five then into three within a two mile stretch. Most times, traffic flows freely. Try looking from 4 PM to 6 PM on a workday, and you will see traffic backed up for miles, often at a complete standstill.
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Traffic Signs
I think this idea of reducing signs could work. In residential areas slowing down is crucial. I also think some other things would help: If people stop driving huge cars. If everyone drove smaller cars, there would certainly be accidents, but fewer fatalities. Talking on cell phones in a moving car should just be banned; there is no other option.
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u ppl make me laf
~ thnx 4 ur tym :D x
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trbyy6
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trbyy6
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trbyy6
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trbyy6
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trbyy6
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