A world without traffic lights

Would a world without traffic lights bring mass chaos to society? Hardly...

This is a video that will give you some insight into Modern Roundabouts. They were only invented in the 1960's and brought to America in the 1990's, do not confuse these with older traffic circles that did not work nearly as well.

This is a video that was taken from the user "flierfy" and it is a drive through Milton Keynes, England. To help our non-english viewers imagine their town or city with roundabouts, I have flipped the video horizontally.

Feel free to comment or to ask any questions that you may have.

To find out more, search:
"Modern Roundabouts"

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Traffic
• Lights
• Modern
• Roundabouts
• Circles
• Safety
• Average
• Speed
• Enviornment
• Red
• Wait

[schmoborama]

Roundabout also :

- allow speed demons the opportunity to drive even more dangerously without getting a ticket.

- take up more space than standard intersections.

- are harder to see than intersections with lights.

"Roundabouts are safer for pedestrians and bicyclists..." if, and only if, they are more visible than a big, bright, red light aimed right at the car drivers.

[DENJCA29]

Traffic lights cause speed demons all the time as drivers try and make the green light or beat the yellow light. So although you're right that roundabouts can have a fast driver from time to time, traffic light intersections promote speed demon behavior.

Roundabout intersections take up more space but the roadway between intersections is less, roundabouts save overall space because of this.

Red lights don't stop cars from hitting people, safety is much worse with traffic lights, look it up.

[NeoFalcon69]

It looks like England but righthand driving? Where is this?

[DENJCA29]

I mentioned at the beginning of the video and in the info that it has been flipped horizontally.

[MyCrazyAngel09]

Woah. Amazing, but I, somehow, I don't think that would work here. People here are diff, they would take advanteage of it. Sad but true.

[DENJCA29]

Where is "here"? And do you really think the drivers where you are, are SO much different than the rest of the world? There are people who want to take advantage of situations everywhere. There is no proof that these don't work in some parts of the world, they're a big success anywhere they're built. It's amazing and it's true. Just google "Modern Roundabouts" and see what you can find.

[vitruvian8807]

I've admired the driving in England and other countries that use roundabouts. That and dedicated bus lanes seem like a huge step forward compared to cities here in the USA where cab drivers, buses and traffic compete on the road.

Here in Chicago, they've taken a small step forward by eliminating parking at the sides of certain streets and by adding bicycle lanes, which I've seen that it's certainly an improvement.

[schmoborama]

@DENJCA29

Ok that's pretty cool. I live in a big city in the US and it's easy to imagine drivers here plowing though it. These look better for suburban areas

[catobear1704]

@MyCrazyAngel09 not true at all, sorry my friend.

[henrytheeigthiam]

I was told that the Milton Keynes grid road layout was designed by an American. Naturally, it would have had four-way stops, but it was decided to build roundabouts instead.

[EdM021]

This is so true. Massachusetts has lots of old traffic circles that were causing a lot of car accidents and delays - traffic inside the rotary had to yield to traffic coming into the rotary. The someone in the 1960s or 70s had the idea of switching the Yield signs and convinced the state legislature to pass a law. Result? The Massachusetts rotaries that are properly signed are almost as safe as roundabouts! (They have larger radii so people drive faster around them. Not good with ice.)

[CanMaverick]

This is in England and this is how most driving around the world should be so much more environmentally friendly and so much more relaxed.

[NeoFalcon69]

Sorry man - I do like how you "flipped" it over to give other drivers especially righthand drivers a better prospective of driving in England.