3 ms·

Regarding the first point - have you seen crossing the traffic in Saigon? They mostly don't have traffic lights, but pedestrians nevertheless cross the streets.

• quanticle 14y ago
  Really? Your shining example for crossing traffic is third world traffic? I'm sorry, I fail to see how that's safe at all. And even if it were theoretically safe (it isn't by the way), I fail to see how that maw of scooters, motorcycles and cars would inspire confidence in any pedestrian that they could cross the street and emerge on the other side with their limbs intact.
  • megablast 14y ago
    It is safe, but because they have different rules. Vehicles must give way at all times, so they will drive around you. And drivers are aware of what is going on, because they have to be. I think driving in Vietnam is much safer than the US.
    • Tichy 14y ago
      I think it is "safe" only in the sense that people are more expendable in third world countries. Probably poor people who don't have cars and have to cross streets on foot are even more expendable.
  • dalke 14y ago
    Better examples are Woonerf or Drachten, Holland and Bohmte, Germany. These are first world cities where traffic signs were removed and streets designed along the shared space philosophy. The now dated analysis (I don't know of recent numbers) says that they are safer now than before this change. There are a few reasons for why it can work. One is the idea that drivers on a well delimited road become complacent. If it's a road designed for cars, then drivers go faster, believe they have priority, and pay less attention to non-drivers. You can't just get rid of signs and expect things to work, because signs are the only signifier. For example, the curb is a physical indicator of the boundary between the place for cars and the place for non-cars. Also, if there are more non-drivers often near the streets (cyclists, walkers, people sitting at a cafe table) then drivers will be more attuned to events which are currently rather low. It also depends on a relatively slow speed. That video for Saigon shows that the traffic is about that of a jog. At that speed, it's easy for drivers to slow down, and easily within the normal reaction time for humans. If you go this route then you can't have broad, open, clear avenues since that encourages drivers to go a lot faster, which makes things more dangerous.
    • saosebastiao 14y ago
      Those ARE better examples, but unfortunately, they aren't examples that driverless car visionaries are envisioning, as it doesn't represent an advantage to them. They think that their technology will make their commutes faster!
      • dalke 14y ago
        This branch was talking about "crossing traffic" and "the idea that we can abandon traffic lights and stop signs." It broke off from driverless cars a while back, I think. I personally can't wrap my head around the idea that a personal chauffeur would get rid of city congestion. Who wants to wait more than 5 minutes for their car to come? That sets a maximum distance to wherever the car depot might be.
• shin_lao 14y ago
  Bad example. They have an incredible number of accidents (compared to a first world country).