What happens when you remove all traffic signs

[Sherpa Kev]

Thoughts on this one?
Old news, but wouldn't it be great if we all looked out for each other?

The final words at the end of the story are: “We all have to be careful all the time.”

https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/0...

[glennjamin]

This was done in Bodmin in Cornwall. No traffic lights no signs other than place names and directions.

Pedestrians have the right of way. When they approach a crossing you have to give way to them. Works really well. No traffic lights so drivers seem to be more considerate to other drivers.

If there aren't many pedestrians you can drive right through the town non stop.No traffic lights to stop you.

Done as a experiment seems to work better than before..

[markiii]

Bloody dreadful idea

[mybrainhurts]

No speed limit signs...?

Deep joy...

[maccboy]

It sounds like the town of Poynton in Cheshire. The centre is a 'shared space' and has no road signs and no road markings. It's like a free-for-all - particularly when it has snowed and you can't see the different coloured blocks used! Everyone has priority and no-one has priority. Perfect!

[Super Sonic]

If everybody was a good driver it would be fine. Unfortunately over a thousand people are killed on the roads annually,

[ukpolak]

I once worked with a fella who once worked for Siemens analysing traffic patterns for tech in traffic light sequencing.

He once told me..

He said that when lights fail, they tend to fail to green. At a cross-roads with all lights green, humans will inevitably creep in to the junction realising something’s amiss and take it very easy and then make it through. It is actually very efficient (apparently) and no accidents during the honeymoon period while everyone pays close attention so as not to crash.

However as we get more risk aware (oh I’ve done this before, if I put my foot down I know I’ll get away with it) then after time it leads to many accidents as too many folk just try to chance it, where in Day 1 they’d have crept up slowly to ensure they could cross.

I was never sure if his story had any merit but made sense at the time!

[ARHarh]

I remember back in the 90's just after they opened the Meadows roundabout in Camberley . I used to drive it everyday and the traffic was horrific most mornings. When the traffic lights failed as they did often then, the traffic flowed far better, and I would get to work 5 minuets earlier.

[MKnight702]

ukpolak said:

I once worked with a fella who once worked for Siemens analysing traffic patterns for tech in traffic light sequencing.

He once told me..

He said that when lights fail, they tend to fail to green. At a cross-roads with all lights green, humans will inevitably creep in to the junction realising something’s amiss and take it very easy and then make it through. It is actually very efficient (apparently) and no accidents during the honeymoon period while everyone pays close attention so as not to crash.

However as we get more risk aware (oh I’ve done this before, if I put my foot down I know I’ll get away with it) then after time it leads to many accidents as too many folk just try to chance it, where in Day 1 they’d have crept up slowly to ensure they could cross.

I was never sure if his story had any merit but made sense at the time!

I watched a programme on risk once and there was a level crossing in Canada (IIRC) where the approach road was forested. Following a couple of accidents they cut the trees back to give a better view of the approaching trains. The result, drivers went faster as they could see further so there was no impact on the number of accidents. The conclusion was that people operate at an acceptable level of risk, make things safer and they will find a way to make it more dangerous to achieve the same risk profile.

[Riley Blue]

ARHarh said:

I remember back in the 90's just after they opened the Meadows roundabout in Camberley . I used to drive it everyday and the traffic was horrific most mornings. When the traffic lights failed as they did often then, the traffic flowed far better, and I would get to work 5 minuets earlier.

Same in Chesterfield. There are three very busy roundabouts on the A61, all three are traffic light controlled. Whenever the lights fail, local social media is full of comments about how better the traffic flows.

[Mr Tidy]

ARHarh said:

I remember back in the 90's just after they opened the Meadows roundabout in Camberley . I used to drive it everyday and the traffic was horrific most mornings. When the traffic lights failed as they did often then, the traffic flowed far better, and I would get to work 5 minuets earlier.

I live a mile away and it still works better when the lights fail - but then any roundabout does, that's the whole point of them!

But Bracknell Forest kept adding lights to roundabouts, until last year they decided to it would be a great idea to spend some millions removing several major roundabouts and just having traffic lights.

Those shared road schemes might work OK in towns - interesting idea anyway.

[Mr Miata]

They did this in an area of Leeds, where there was a bottle neck and they tried to install a cycle lane through there. Thinking that people would slow down if there was no road markings.

It never occurred to them that people would simply ignore the lack of road markings and still drive the same way (inconsiderately).

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.8052255,-1.66707...

Edited by Mr Miata on Thursday 13th January 23:12

[al78]

Mr Tidy said:

I live a mile away and it still works better when the lights fail - but then any roundabout does, that's the whole point of them!

I wish someone would tell West Sussex county council. Two roundabouts on the A24 Horsham bypass have been decorated with red, amber and green lights where none existed before. One set were added likely because of the addition of an off-road cycle lane around the edge of the roundabout, which is pointless as to cycle from Broadbridge Heath to Horsham town centre, the cycle route via Tesco and over the footbridge is vastly superior.