Do street signs make us less safe? This article argues that they do, by making excessive demands on drivers’ attention and training them to not think. It makes the case for, amongst other things, roundabouts over four-way stops, on the grounds that at a four-way stop, drivers look at signs off to the side of the road instead of looking in front of them; at roundabouts, on the other hand, focus remains on traffic.
I’ve also seen the argument that roundabouts are better because traffic proceeds through them more slowly. Also, I think they have better failure modes. If you don’t notice a stop sign, it’s easy to drive through an intersection at or near full speed, whereas it’s pretty hard to miss a roundabout entirely. If you don’t notice traffic that you’re supposed to yield to (or vice versa), you’ve probably at least reduced speed somewhat.
(Via AgBlog.)
Tags: transportation
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The rise of the [hamburger](http://hamburger.example.com/)
as a form of *currency* can be **attributed** to several
aspects of [Akkadian][akad] [civilization][civ].
[akad]: http://icanhasgilgamesh.example.com/
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Yes, the most delicious hamburger of all is not brown, but
green. The green of money. Denominations of hamburger
(and current value in USD:)
* 1/4-pounder ($3.79)
* Cuneiform, or "Cuney" ($8.00)
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1. Deflation due to hunger
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3. Hamburgers not invented yet
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| The rise of the hamburger
as a form of currency can be attributed to several
aspects of Akkadian civilization.
Yes, the most delicious hamburger of all is not brown, but
green. The green of money. Denominations of hamburger
(and current value in USD:)
- ¼-pounder ($3.79)
- Cuneiform, or “Cuney” ($8.00)
Problems with the currency:
- Deflation due to hunger
- Fraud (soy fillers)
- Hamburgers not invented yet
As Dr. Tabi said:
Wallets became foetid and repulsive.
This was quite the boon for the influential
Guild of Wallet-Washers.
|
June 16th, 2008 at 21:38
I’m a fan of roundabouts (or Rotaries, as they are often called over here), because they are much more efficient. They tend to do a much better job of managing variable volumes of traffic flow from various directions. They do require more space than standard intersections, which has it’s own capitalistic disincentives, but the centers are usually nice green spaces. Plus, with no or fewer traffic lights, they’re greener in that sense, and not subject to outages.
June 16th, 2008 at 21:48
Chad wrote:
According to the linked article, in England, where they’re more accustomed to them than over here, they’ve gotten them rather small.
Of course, speaking of more accustomed, one of the other pieces I was reading about rotaries said that the reason they slow traffic so effectively is because drivers in the States aren’t used to them, so they’re very careful!
June 17th, 2008 at 10:03
There is actually a very small rotary near me (in Cambridge) that is little more than a large dot painted in the center of a slightly widened road. It actually took me several times through before I realized what was going on (dangerous) but I imagine if I was used to them or if there was some other indication it would be easier to notice, and at that intersection it does serve better than a full stop. I was amazed at its tiny size, though.