As someone who does not drive (I walk, bike or take the bus everywhere), I am particularly interested in transportation issues. So I was interested to see a pair of BBC Online articles on transport.
One noted that a road in west London may be stripped of its kerb, traffic lights and signs in an attempt to encourage pedestrians and cars to mingle in what's called a 'naked road' experiment.
RAC [I think this refers to tbe British Royal Automobile Club] Foundation executive director Edmund King said: "This is a form of psychological traffic calming which encourages drivers to slow down and think a lot more about pedestrians and other road users.
King notes that "In Holland, there have been places where a number of roads meet and no one has the automatic right of way. Although this might make drivers more careful, it could also encourage the aggressive motorist to behave more recklessly."
Which is why the plan is right to be tested on a small scale.
A similiar experiment is being tried in Wiltshire, southern England.
Wiltshire County Council says accidents in Seend have dropped by a third and speed has dropped by an average of 5% since the lines were removed. .. Similar schemes in Holland and Scandinavia have also reportedly led to a cut in road accidents.
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