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Old December 11th 04, 05:37 PM posted to uk.transport.london
Tom Anderson Tom Anderson is offline
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First recorded activity at LondonBanter: Oct 2003
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Default An alternative view of traffic control

On 11 Dec 2004, Robin May wrote:

Tom Anderson wrote the following in:


There has been quite a bit of work on schemes like this. What it
comes down to is presenting drivers with something unfamiliar -
when they lose all the signs and markings they're used to, they
don't know what's going on, so they slow down. The problem is,
once they get used to it, it doesn't work, and they get faster
again. Perhaps the solution is to keep changing the signs and
markings every few months!


But intrinsic in the design is the fact that you can't go through it
faster, it'd be like going round a blind corner faster. You have to slow
down and think because to negotiate it successfully you have to see
what's going on there and decide what to do.


You'd think that, but apparently, that's not what happens. Drivers learn
what the traffic is likely to be like, and drive based on that. Yes, it is
like going round a blind corner faster, and people do it.

I really should cite some references for this, but i don't remember enough
of the detail to find them, so i can't. Feel free to assume that i am
imagining it!

tom

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