If you want less traffic, get rid of traffic laws?

[Vainglory, Esq.]

In North Somerset, Great Britain, a man named Martin Cassini has documented what happened when a town literally turned off its traffic lights and did nothing to replace them.  Instead of complete chaos, they found that:

(1) Time spent commuting fell by more than half.
(2) There was no impact on safety.

Take a look at the website for the project at: http://www.fitroads.com/
Check out the youtube video series at Cassini's channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/mjcassini#p/u
And if you're really an economics dork like I am, read about argumentation ethics and the praxeology of traffic lights at the Mises Institute website: http://mises.org/daily/4745

With a few exceptions (because the world will always have assholes, traffic lights or not), drivers are more courteous and cooperative under the "anarchist" scheme, and people tend to yield the right of way and wait their turn when necessary.  It seems as though the lack of traffic lights has shifted drivers to a "we're all in this together" mentality, whereas the regimented rules that were removed and not replaced were the root cause of the competitive mindset that one often sees on the roads today.

To me, this isn't entirely surprising.  In urban Minnesota, freeway speeds are capped at 55, and drivers are infuriatingly oblivious to what's going on around them, to the point where I've become something of a left-lane vigilante  (no, I'm not that proud of it).  By contrast, on the autobahn in continental Europe, speeds are uncapped, and yet people are aware of their surroundings, move over when necessary, and generally follow the unspoken rules of the road, allowing everyone to get to their destination more quickly.

I'd be interested to see this project extend to other cities, including in the U.S.

[Troy]

Sounds simpler than shooting all the oblivious idiots on the road! But then, if you remove the rules (and presumably the associated fines) how will American cities generate revenue? In this economy it's amazing how many new fees/fines/taxes are being pushed through regarding traffic offenses (that don't increase safety 1 iota).

Troy

[John_Kunkel]

Limeys must be smarter than Yanks, around here any 4-way stop without traffic lights is infuruiating; it seems that those who are overcautious or dumbfounded at the absence of a light just sit there even when they have the right-of-way.

When a traffic light malfunctions and goes to flashing red in all directions (same rules as an unprotected 4-way stop) it's total chaos.

[Old Moparz]

Limeys must be smarter than Yanks, around here any 4-way stop without traffic lights is infuruiating; it seems that those who are overcautious or dumbfounded at the absence of a light just sit there even when they have the right-of-way.

When a traffic light malfunctions and goes to flashing red in all directions (same rules as an unprotected 4-way stop) it's total chaos.

Same thing happens near me with a very busy, 3-way, "T" intersection with a 3-way stop. Most people take turns going through after they stop but there's always an a-hole that decides they aren't going to wait & shoots into the intersection causing someone to slam on their brakes or has a near miss. The overcautious ones usually sit out at least 3 or 4 turns getting the drivers behind them pissed off. When they do finally go, they also usually almost crash or cause an accident. 

There are plans to change another bad, 5-way intersection with a traffic circle. There are lights now with plans to eliminate them completely. At first I thought it would be a bad idea, but after looking at the plans in my office I see that it should be a big improvement. Maybe not at first, but once people get used to it, it should be good.

[TK73]

North Somerset, Great Britain

Population around 200,000



Try that in L.A.

Population 3.8 million

[bakerhillpins]

Sounds simpler than shooting all the oblivious idiots on the road! But then, if you remove the rules (and presumably the associated fines) how will American cities generate revenue? In this economy it's amazing how many new fees/fines/taxes are being pushed through regarding traffic offenses (that don't increase safety 1 iota).

Troy

Maybe recouped through the lack of installation and maintenance?

With a few exceptions (because the world will always have assholes, traffic lights or not), drivers are more courteous and cooperative under the "anarchist" scheme, and people tend to yield the right of way and wait their turn when necessary.  It seems as though the lack of traffic lights has shifted drivers to a "we're all in this together" mentality, whereas the regimented rules that were removed and not replaced were the root cause of the competitive mindset that one often sees on the roads today.

To me, this isn't entirely surprising.  In urban Minnesota, freeway speeds are capped at 55, and drivers are infuriatingly oblivious to what's going on around them, to the point where I've become something of a left-lane vigilante  (no, I'm not that proud of it).  By contrast, on the autobahn in continental Europe, speeds are uncapped, and yet people are aware of their surroundings, move over when necessary, and generally follow the unspoken rules of the road, allowing everyone to get to their destination more quickly.

I'd be interested to see this project extend to other cities, including in the U.S.

Not that I think this is a good idea but I do recognize the merits of it. I just can't see it working that well here in the US where driving is considered a right rather than a privilege. I do however believe that there are too many freaking rules/laws and that it directly correlates to the fact that the US has a mindset where someone else is always responsible for my bad/stupid behavior. Why the heck do we need laws that say you can't text on your cell? There has to be like 12 other statutes that stupid behavior like that falls under?

I don't believe that all of the Autobahn is speed limit free anymore.. Too much traffic etc. It's also country dependent.

In any case, it is important to note that an advisory speed limit (German: Richtgeschwindigkeit) of up to 130 km/h always applies. In case of an accident while driving faster, a court can decide on shared liability due to the increased operational risk. [6]  Persisting speed limits are rarely controlled via stationary speed cameras but mostly via local Autobahn police forces, using temporary roadside-mounted equipment and unmarked camera-equipped patrol cars. The Autobahn network has no average-speed surveillance systems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn