Comments on: Are Unregulated Roads Safer?

By: markus

markus — Mon, 24 Jan 2005 12:13:10 +0000

from personal observation driving in Berlin and Paris I can confirm that the French get by with a lot less regulation and everyone is paying attention to what the other people are doing, whereas Germans tend to mind what is allowed to them and expecting everyone else to do the same, consequently paying less attention to what the others are actually doing. I am however sceptical of the "no rules" approach in that (a) it's as yet unclear in how much it simply freerides on regulations and norms established elsewhere and (b) how well it works if damages have to be settled in court. There are obviously cases where two rational agents can have perfectly reasonable expectations and make perfectly reasonable decisions, which in agregate lead to unfortunate consequences. A simple miscommunication in "who goes first" is enough and without explicit rules I'm unsure how to resolve such a case. (Splitting the difference of course favours the rich and the reckless.)

By: Mythusmage Opines

Mythusmage Opines — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 22:31:25 +0000

Should We Minimize Rules?
Outside The Beltway : Are Unregulated Roads Safer?

Is D&DÃÂ® over regulated? That question was inspired by the posting linked to above. The entry in question quotes from a New York Times story about an innovation regarding an intersection in The Neth...

By: Retread

Retread — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 21:08:11 +0000

So when drivers aren't told by signs and lights what to do, they use their brains. Astonishing .

From my own experience, where there is brick paving most people drive more cautiously, probably because they expect pedestrians to be present.

By: New (sub)Urbanist

New (sub)Urbanist — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 20:13:02 +0000

"Shared Space" and Road Design
What Monderman has done is not to do away with regulation, but, rather, has designed the roadway differently with an eye towards multiple forms of mobility.

By: Walter E. Wallis

Walter E. Wallis — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 18:50:49 +0000

Gee! Now we can save all that money we have been paying traffic engineers.

By: Kathy K

Kathy K — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 14:44:14 +0000

Oops. Barred left turns... sorry. It snarled up because everyone was taking right turns into the side streets and then doing u--turns so they could get to the left they actually wanted to make.

By: Kathy K

Kathy K — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 14:42:06 +0000

When hurricane Charley removed electric from my area, I was fascinated to note that the traffic flow at an intersection nearby (normally regulated by a traffic light) was actually improved.

It was only when the police intervened and barred left and right turns from that intersection (something they thought would help, I guess...) that the traffic snarled up again.

By: Mythusmage Opines : Should We Minimize Rules?

Mythusmage Opines : Should We Minimize Rules? — Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000

[...] ext link | « Previous Post | home | 1/23/2005 Should We Minimize Rules? Outside The Beltway : Are Unregulated Roads Safer? Is D&DÃÂ® over regulated? That question wa [...]