Sunday, October 10, 2010

What would happen if the traffic lights were turned off?

Would our roads be safer and less congested if we were free of traffic lights and free to filter? A body of evidence suggests they would. With journey times at an all-time high, and 30,000 killed or hurt on British roads every year, the current system is plainly unfit. We complain about the traffic and blame other drivers, but could it be traffic controls that are the problem? Traffic lights take our eyes off the road, a recipe for danger. They make us stop when it's safe to go, a recipe for rage. They cost the earth to install and run. But when lights are out of action and there is no priority, we approach carefully and filter in turn (FiT). As courtesy thrives, congestion dissolves.



FiT Roads oppose regulation which contrives conflict, dictates our behaviour, and deprives us of choice. Based on a trust in human nature rather than an obsession with controlling it, FiT could launch an era of peaceful co-existence on our roads.

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