On the Road
We all think we're better drivers than we are--so points out author Tom Vanderbilt in Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do. The increasing narcissism of the average driver and the anonymity of driving are much more responsible for accidents than bad roads, poor signage. In other words, cars don't cause accidents, people do.
Traffic engineers around the world work hard to come up with plans to keep that daily commute moving. Something as simple as keeping the highways free of roadside debris --an abandoned couch alongside the highway will slow traffic to a crawl--folks will gawk at anything.
Hans Monderman of the Netherlands, a traffic engineer famous for his innovative ideas, has been instrumental in getting rid of traffic signs which he views as superfluous. In one Dutch town, Monderman's solution to congestion was to get rid of the traffic lights. It works, Monderman says, because people now have to pay attention--another important aspect of driving.
Read this book--you'll become a better driver and you will be amused.