Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [traffic]

15 questions
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Are roundabouts actually statistically safer than traditional traffic patterns?

We have had a number of roundabouts installed near us in South Western PA in the past decade, and a quick internet search shows other states doing so as well. This seems to be an almost universally frustrating trend with those I've spoken to. A…
Nicholas
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Is driving the speed limit on a highway safer?

I'd have thought this would have been asked already but I didn't see it. Is driving the speed limit safer on a highway? By "highway" I mean high-traffic areas, such as 4-lane divided thoroughfares. Having commuted for some time, I've noticed that…
Brian M. Hunt
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Is the "Dutch reach" standard practice in the Netherlands?

The United Kingdom is introducing a new traffic rule. According to this BBC article, A method known as the "Dutch reach" is to be introduced to the Highway Code in the UK after years of campaigning. The practice is used widely across Europe and…
Glorfindel
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Does the establishment of a legal upper speed limit on highways lead to a reduction in traffic deaths and accidents?

The conventional wisdom is that established speed limits lead to an increase in safety. Speed limits are usually set to attempt to cap road traffic speed; there are several reasons for wanting to do this. It is often done with an intention to…
Mauser
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Does China have motorways with 50 lanes, or at least with 20?

An article from the Daily Mail reports about a giant traffic jam near Beijing, China, in the aftermath of 2015's national holiday week. Several times, the article insinuates at least a section of the motorway has as many as 50 lanes: No end in…
O. R. Mapper
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Do carpool lanes help reduce traffic congestion more than adding an extra lane would?

Many cities have added carpool lanes to their roads, in hopes of encouraging people to carpool and reduce traffic. The idea is that, not only does the road now have an extra lane, there will also be less cars on it as well. I've had friends claim,…
TheEnigmaMachine
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Is riding with strangers unsafe?

A commonly taught adage is to never accept a ride from a stranger. This applies mostly to children and goes hand in hand with warnings about accepting gifts from strangers. Now, having grown older, I cannot think of anyone amongst my friends,…
MrHen
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Do longer yellow lights increase traffic hazards?

CBS SF Bay Area published an article about the debate surrounding CA Assembly Bill 612, which would increase the duration of yellow signals for intersections with red-light cameras. An opponent of the bill argues that it's dangerous to lengthen…
Bradd Szonye
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Is it illegal to drive with a dirty car in Belarus?

I just saw on Fifth Gear (a UK TV car show) that it was illegal to drive a dirty car in Belarus. A Google search revealed many other people believe this to be true. Can anyone confirm it is true and explain why?
cantsay
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Will increased speed limits on motorways (or highways) cause significant harm?

The UK government has recently started a consultation on increasing the speed limits on motorways (roughly the equivalent of highways in the USA) in England. So it seems appropriate to pose the question about whether this is a good idea. The early…
matt_black
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Is it safer for bicyclists to be allowed to roll through stop signs?

The Idaho Stop rule for bicycles (Idaho Code 49-720) allows bicyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs. Its practical application is described in this video. A study by Jason Meggs if often cited (1, 2, 3, 4) as establishing that allowing rolling…
user5582
8
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Would lowering the speed limit in NYC by 5mph lower the number of pedestrian deaths by a factor of 2?

According to the Mayor of New York City, De Blasio: (my emphasis) Excessive speed contributes to 25 percent of roadway fatalities on New York City Streets and is the leading cause of motor vehicle crashes. Reducing vehicle speed from 30 to 25 mph…
ike
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Does building roads increase traffic to the same point?

A 2014 Wired article *What's Up With That: Building Bigger Roads Actually Makes Traffic Worse cites two economists: In 2009, two economists—Matthew Turner of the University of Toronto and Gilles Duranton of the University of Pennsylvania—decided to…
David Hobs
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How many pedestrians die a year in NYC from being hit by a car?

In researching my other question, I found a hard time getting all the sources of numbers of deaths to agree with each other. Some of the numbers I found are as follows: 168 pedestrians and 10 cyclists killed in 2013 from…
ike
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Is having bike lanes safer than not having them?

Is having bike lanes safer than not having them? This Globe and Mail ("Canada's National News Paper") article discusses bike lanes and claims that when correctly applied they are safer. Here are some media claims that they…
user45478