Curiously, the Dutch have a word for “free of traffic signs” and it’s “verkeersbordvrij”. My ancestors over in the mother-province of Friesland, Netherlands are up to a very interesting traffic-planning experiment and it just may spark a world-wide trend in radical trust.
In order to make the streets safer for everyone, traffic planners have removed all traffic lights, signs, parking meters and painted lines!
Removing regulations to increase safety may seem counter-intuitive, but the method is showing that the less restrictions placed on motorists, pedestrians and cyclists, the more responsibility they take upon themselves to behave in a safe manner. And it’s working! A pilot project in Oudehaske (Friesland) which started back in the 1980s has resulted in 8000 cars and 2400 cyclists still sharing the road every day with average traffic speeds dropping by 50%!
The program started when Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman noted that the town’s increasing traffic density would soon become a threat to the villagers’ idea of small-town living. He proposed a complete redesign of the system from the pedestrian point of view. All traffic signs, lights and lines were removed and in effect replaced by eye contact, gestures and nods. This radical trust theory in practice is gelled by one universal governness, common sense.
When witnessed in action, thoughts may drift to the Middle Ages… a time when people, hand carts, horses and chariots shuffled about the streets unregulated and relatively accident-free. This historical vision is only complete with the cobblestone road, a natural speed deterrent. Once again, cobblestone is surfacing many of the newly deregulated streets in small-town Europe.
“The many rules strip us of the most important thing: the ability to be considerate.” says Monderman. “We’re losing our capacity for socially responsible behavior. The greater the number of proscriptions, the more people’s sense of personal responsibility dwindles.”
Monderman’s experiment has turned into a movement with seven European Commission sanctioned projects in England, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany. The program has been dubbed “Shared Space”.
From the horses mouth :
Shared Space – a relatively new name for a concept emerging across Europe. It encapsulates a new philosophy and set of principles for the design, management and maintenance of streets and public spaces, based on the integration of traffic with other forms of human activity. The most recognizable characteristic of shared space is the absence of conventional traffic signals, signs, road markings, humps and barriers – all the clutter essential to the highway. The driver in shared space becomes an integral part of the social and cultural context, and behaviour (such as speed) is controlled by everyday norms of behaviour.
Not everyone is convinced. Many critics suggest that this type of urban planning should be kept to small towns at best, but most are not out to block the future of this program, nor are they disputing the successes seen to date.
The Dutch town of Drachten has already yielded some benefits. With only three of eighteen original traffic lights remaining (the rest having been converted to roundabouts), the traffic is regulated with only two rules: “yield to the right” and “get in someone’s way and you’ll be towed”. The accident rates have dropped and the ones that do occur tend to be minor.
More from Shared Space
The space itself must give a message that can only be read in one way. In this situation there is no clear choice between social and traffic behaviour.
It’s amazing how parallel notions of radical trust are popping up all over the world in all sorts of configurations. Once again it’s being proved, that when people are left to determine their own needs free of rules and limitations within a reasonable set of guidelines, self-discipline and civic responsibility will prevail, creating a better community for all.
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7 Responses to “Traffic Safety Improved by Eliminating Signs”
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July 11th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
Amazing! It speaks volumes to the capacity for humanity.
so simple, yet so brilliant. gotta love the Dutch!
z
July 11th, 2007 at 11:04 pm
Zoe!
Great to hear from you.
The dutch certainly are lovable!
Thanks for the comment.
Hope to see you again soon,
collin
July 12th, 2007 at 12:02 am
London is experiencing a radical deterioration in road manners due to traffic density. My evidence for this is – I admit – totally anecdotal. I recently started cycling again ten years after a botched cartilage operation put me onto public transport. Cars now drive faster and come physically closer to you. Cyclists have responded by a massive increase in jumping red lights. Both instincts are of cornered rat-like aggression, caused by the increased density of traffic.
I hope this Dutch idea is the answer. A scheme in Kensington High Street referred to in Wikipedia is having the same effect.
December 14th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Hey! This Canadian article from The Walrus Magazine mentions planners in Drachten controlling traffic.
Check it out:
http://www.walrusmagazine.com/articles/2008.02-urban-planning-green-cities-street-smarts/
December 17th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Cool Marta
Thanks for the link… checking it now.
February 12th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
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