Spontaneous Order, Sometimes It Just Happens
No Traffic Lights? No Problem
Last Friday, a severe thunderstorm knocked out power for large sections of the Virginia, D.C., and Maryland area; including the traffic lights in one of the more poorly designed intersections in the Arlington/Falls Church section of VA. But instead of chaos, the video above shows what happened ...
16 Comments:
Imagine there's no government
It's easy if you try...
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will live as one
nice but down here in Richmond folks were blowing through such intersections, failing to stop. sometimes they did stop but the vast majority failed to implement spontaneous order. in the end the City of Richmond and henrico county ended up putting out stop signs or had police directing traffic
It'd be ideal if all intersections had roundabouts. I think we'll look back and consider it outrageous that at any given intersection, half the cars used to sit still. To avoid some long red lights, you can turn right, then do a U-turn, then turn right... an extended roundabout.
Mark,
In the Netherlands, in the city of Drachten, an experiment without trafficlights hasbeen don / is stil running for more than 8 years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puj-loPKBh4
Rules? We don't need no stinkin' rules!
Here in the UK they have had to add traffic lights to round-abouts so you get the worst of both worlds. However I do like how most residential streets have no stop signs so people just drive a little more carefully.
Here in the UK they have had to add traffic lights to round-abouts so you get the worst of both worlds. However I do like how most residential streets have no stop signs so people just drive a little more carefully.
Along these lines -- when you look at accidents near road signs - the 'Yield' sign has by far the fewest accidents. When folks have skin in the game they think and act responsible.
@Ron H.
Rulers? We don't need no stinkin' rulers!
FTFY
YVW
I think there still is an issue with drivers being aware they are approaching an intersection (e.g., at night, during bad weather, etc.). People generally are careful, when they are both aware of a situation they need to be careful about and they understand the risks of being less careful.
There is also the issue of people having very different opinions on what they consider an acceptable level of risk. There is a spontaneous order between lions and zebras on the African plain, but I'll bet the zebras would prefer a different order.
What's the big deal, I've seen this many times when traffic lights aren't working.
This had to be faked. As any politician will tell you, the world will be complete chaos unless they write rules for people to follow. As we all know, people are too selfish of stupid to properly cooperate peacefully.
two points:
1. roundabouts are not traffic circles. they are similar looking but different critters.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090621/COLUMNIST/906211023
2. - you can get by with 4 way stop protocols at 2x2 lane intersections on low traffic days like weekends but 3x3 or 4x4 lane intersections especially at rush hour are total chaos.
Traffic light vs. No traffic light
Captain Profit:
"Rulers? We don't need no stinkin' rulers!"
Indeed! :)
"Rulers? We don't need no stinkin' rulers!"
The Nobel committee disagrees.
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