Welcome to the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club Thursday March 28, 2024
Home Forums Images WikiNASIOC Products Store Modifications Upgrade Garage
NASIOC
Go Back   NASIOC > NASIOC General > News & Rumors > Non-Subaru News & Rumors

Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!
Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.







* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads. 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-11-2008, 03:36 PM   #1
AVANTI R5
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 73805
Join Date: Nov 2004
Vehicle:
24 TypeS ZO6
White

Default Are Traffic Signs Dangerous?



Quote:
A Duke University professor said Tuesday that U.S. highway fatalities are high because speed limits and stop signs have dumbed down and distracted American drivers. “Driving in America is annoying. And traffic signals are not just annoying, they are dangerous,” said John Staddon, who holds a doctorate in experimental psychology and is past editor of the journals Behavioural Process and Behavior & Philosophy.


The professor maintains that the signs divert the driver’s attention from the road, because the signs are placed off the road.


He criticized the number of stop signs in the United States — essentially at every intersection.


“And more important, they require a stop even when stopping is not necessary for safety’s sake,” Staddon said.
And worse, he added, American neighborhoods use four-way stops to slow traffic, “which is not a good use for them.”
When asked if he thought there would be a movement in the United States to remove stop and speed limit signs, he replied: “I hope so. They are dangerous.”
Source
http://www.motorists.org/blog/are-tr...gns-dangerous/
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
AVANTI R5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
Old 12-11-2008, 03:37 PM   #2
AVANTI R5
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 73805
Join Date: Nov 2004
Vehicle:
24 TypeS ZO6
White

Default





AVANTI R5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 03:38 PM   #3
Mykl
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 14311
Join Date: Jan 2002
Vehicle:
2010 GTI
White

Default

Remove all stop signs!!!
Mykl is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 03:41 PM   #4
turbo tecnica
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 74470
Join Date: Nov 2004
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Norton, MA
Vehicle:
2013 Accord Sport
72 LS1 Vette

Default

This guy is a moron

<-- Makes traffic signs
turbo tecnica is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 03:41 PM   #5
wrx2.0 555
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 21383
Join Date: Jul 2002
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Vehicle:
2017 Cannondale
Habit 5

Default

I think MERGE signs need to be replaced with DO NOT STOP signs....
wrx2.0 555 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 03:43 PM   #6
wrx2.0 555
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 21383
Join Date: Jul 2002
Chapter/Region: South East
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Vehicle:
2017 Cannondale
Habit 5

Default

We should put turnabouts at all non major intersections, like in neighborhoods. Why a 4 way stop when a turnabout would keep traffic always moving and no signs necessary. If you need a merge sign at a turnabout, you're just plain stupid.....
wrx2.0 555 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 03:45 PM   #7
turbo tecnica
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 74470
Join Date: Nov 2004
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Norton, MA
Vehicle:
2013 Accord Sport
72 LS1 Vette

Default

Because a rotary requires a lot more land than just a simple 4-way intersection. I don't see homeowners in small neighborhoods sacrificing their front lawns so there can be a rotary instead of 4 stop signs.
turbo tecnica is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 04:26 PM   #8
Yotsuya
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 935
Join Date: Feb 2000
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: ಠ_ಠ Chicago
Vehicle:
Will Woollard
Fan Club

Default

Americans have no idea how to use a rotary properly; a lot of them still have stop signs governing entrances to boot. The entire yield concept has pretty much been phased out in favor of more arbitrary signage.
Yotsuya is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 04:41 PM   #9
unclemat
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 114530
Join Date: May 2006
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by turbo tecnica View Post
This guy is a moron

<-- Makes traffic signs


What cracks me up about the signs in the U.S. that many of them are not pictograms but WRITTEN TEXT, which is retarded.

NO LEFT TURN? NO TURN ON RED?

Give me a break. U.S. as usual is backward. Should have adopted the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals long time ago, like pretty much rest of the world.

At the same time little attention is paid to on-the-roadway signage. E.g. idea of allowing turning on double solid line is another example of totally backward U.S. signage and road regulations.
unclemat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 05:25 PM   #10
subySerb
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 155411
Join Date: Jul 2007
Vehicle:
2006 Miata
2015 WRX

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by unclemat View Post


What cracks me up about the signs in the U.S. that many of them are not pictograms but WRITTEN TEXT, which is retarded.

NO LEFT TURN? NO TURN ON RED?

Give me a break. U.S. as usual is backward. Should have adopted the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals long time ago, like pretty much rest of the world.

At the same time little attention is paid to on-the-roadway signage. E.g. idea of allowing turning on double solid line is another example of totally backward U.S. signage and road regulations.
I agree
subySerb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 06:18 PM   #11
Rallyroo
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 67994
Join Date: Aug 2004
Chapter/Region: SCIC
Location: Pacific Rim - The Ring of Fire
Default



Wasteful. I'm on a mountain road, been driving for 3+ miles on curvy roads already. Then I see the first stupid sign, then a couple every few miles. It's like obvious.
Rallyroo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 06:24 PM   #12
Rallyroo
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 67994
Join Date: Aug 2004
Chapter/Region: SCIC
Location: Pacific Rim - The Ring of Fire
Default

You forgot the small print when it says something like
"No left turn on red between 7AM-10AM, 4:30PM-7PM".

I don't have time to read the whole sign.

Come to think of it. Amber Alerts causes major traffic jams on the freeways. Traffic at 2-10 mph. After passing the sign traffic goes back up to 65+ mph.

"CHILD NAPPING. BLK MERCDES PLATE#"
"CALL 800-111-1212"

etc
etc
Rallyroo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 07:49 PM   #13
mbs627
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 99794
Join Date: Nov 2005
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Lower Bux, PA
Vehicle:
2013 FR-S
Darky dark

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by wrx2.0 555 View Post
We should put turnabouts at all non major intersections, like in neighborhoods. Why a 4 way stop when a turnabout would keep traffic always moving and no signs necessary. If you need a merge sign at a turnabout, you're just plain stupid.....
Ever been to NJ? It doesn't work so hot.
mbs627 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 08:09 PM   #14
Mike Wevrick
RIP 1/19/64 - 7/23/11
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 24654
Join Date: Sep 2002
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: saraseager.com
Vehicle:
1957 Taggart Comet
atlasshruggedpart1.com

Default

I think the prof is on the right track.

Quote:
He criticized the number of stop signs in the United States — essentially at every intersection.

“And more important, they require a stop even when stopping is not necessary for safety’s sake,” Staddon said.
And worse, he added, American neighborhoods use four-way stops to slow traffic, “which is not a good use for them.”
12345 My old neighborhood in DC was a big grid with 4-way stops every block. It was so annoying that very few people came to complete stops.

Quote:
Originally Posted by turbo tecnica View Post
Because a rotary requires a lot more land than just a simple 4-way intersection. I don't see homeowners in small neighborhoods sacrificing their front lawns so there can be a rotary instead of 4 stop signs.
Nope; I saw mini rotaries in Zurich that were essentially just like our 4-way intersections but with a small raised circle in the middle.
Mike Wevrick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 08:23 PM   #15
unclemat
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 114530
Join Date: May 2006
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Default

Agree 90% of places with stop signs would be better served with yield signs.

There is one area were I'd like to see MORE signs - specifically this one, which is common in Europe, but non-existent here:


Last edited by unclemat; 12-11-2008 at 08:29 PM.
unclemat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 08:31 PM   #16
Hondaslayer
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 4562
Join Date: Feb 2001
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Auburn, WA
Vehicle:
2014 Electric Datsun
2005 Adventure van

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Wevrick View Post



Nope; I saw mini rotaries in Zurich that were essentially just like our 4-way intersections but with a small raised circle in the middle.
Whacked one of those with my old Opel Kadet on the left side, had a little 2 wheel motion going for a few feet
Hondaslayer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-11-2008, 08:40 PM   #17
Indocti Discant
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 138000
Join Date: Jan 2007
Chapter/Region: BAIC
Location: et ament meminisse periti
Vehicle:
Buy Nate's coffee
west coast roasting

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Wevrick View Post
Nope; I saw mini rotaries in Zurich that were essentially just like our 4-way intersections but with a small raised circle in the middle.
very similar to the fried eggs you see in england.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...roundabout.jpg
Indocti Discant is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 06:01 AM   #18
Slack
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 17548
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Land of No Turn Signals
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by wrx2.0 555 View Post
I think MERGE signs need to be replaced with DO NOT STOP signs....
They have quite a few DO NOT STOP signs here in Atlanta. They don't work. Idiots still stop and usually don't respond to others honking at them.
Slack is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 09:19 AM   #19
turbo tecnica
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 74470
Join Date: Nov 2004
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Norton, MA
Vehicle:
2013 Accord Sport
72 LS1 Vette

Default

I agree that there are a lot of ridiculous signs out there, and that we need to get everything on the same sort of level with Europe, etc. The one thing I found ridiculous was saying that signs were placed off the road and distracting. Where are they supposed to go? You can't use line striping and write it on the road, that's just as bad and it doesn't last. A lot of places are way too regulated with signs - it's pretty bad. More rotaries would be good but I just can't see them going at every 4-way stop around town.
turbo tecnica is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 09:21 AM   #20
unclemat
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 114530
Join Date: May 2006
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Default

Better surface signs would help. Particularly coherent solid line rules. You do not need "no left turn" sign if it's clear solid lines are not to be crossed.

Also if signs were placed overhead more it could help.

Most 4-way stops should be eliminated.
unclemat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 09:46 AM   #21
Mike Wevrick
RIP 1/19/64 - 7/23/11
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 24654
Join Date: Sep 2002
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: saraseager.com
Vehicle:
1957 Taggart Comet
atlasshruggedpart1.com

Default

Quote:
They have quite a few DO NOT STOP signs here in Atlanta. They don't work. Idiots still stop and usually don't respond to others honking at them.
American drivers in general are much less skilled/competent than in other 1st-world countries. Our driver training and testing standards are a joke compared to Europe or even Canada. Part of the reason here are so many stop etc. signs is that people are not skilled enough to drive around without constantly being told what to do by signs.

I would like to see driver training and testing standards tightened considerable, with compulsory retesting for everyone who already has a permit. Imagine the lives and money that could be saved and the reduction in traffic congestion if the worst 10% of drivers were taken off the roads or forced to improve their skills.
Mike Wevrick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 09:52 AM   #22
Hcope
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 191904
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Vehicle:
2002 2.5 RS
Aspen White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by mbs627 View Post
Ever been to NJ? It doesn't work so hot.
Because NJ drivers SUCK. Seriously. All the other places with circles that i've been to, I haven't had a problem.
Hcope is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 10:05 AM   #23
fireball_jones
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 67536
Join Date: Aug 2004
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Side of the road, Somerville
Vehicle:
00 AW GM6
And a bunch of parts

Default

The only problem with rotaries is half the people stop completely then go, and the other half just barrel through without looking.

I still prefer them to 4 way stops though. And agree with this article, there are way to many signs out there. Even better are the ones that rotate in the wind, so you can't tell which side isn't supposed to make a left turn, or which side can't turn on red.
fireball_jones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 10:06 AM   #24
unclemat
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 114530
Join Date: May 2006
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Wevrick View Post

I would like to see driver training and testing standards tightened considerable, with compulsory retesting for everyone who already has a permit. Imagine the lives and money that could be saved and the reduction in traffic congestion if the worst 10% of drivers were taken off the roads or forced to improve their skills.
But think about the lost traffic ticket industry lost revenue!

Well, I wish cops where enforcing lane discpline, signalling, tailgating and teh like instead of ridiclously underposted speed limits.

But that would require more work.
unclemat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2008, 10:33 AM   #25
snowcat
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 21963
Join Date: Jul 2002
Chapter/Region: NWIC
Location: Montana
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by turbo tecnica View Post
Because a rotary requires a lot more land than just a simple 4-way intersection. I don't see homeowners in small neighborhoods sacrificing their front lawns so there can be a rotary instead of 4 stop signs.
Oh, round-abouts are all the rage here, in the name of "safety" (i.e. political correctness). Even in "historic" neighborhoods they're willing to give up space. So far, I have found round-abouts to be horribly dangerous, much more so than any other type of intersection...

Quote:
Originally Posted by unclemat View Post
Well, I wish cops where enforcing lane discpline, signalling, tailgating and teh like instead of ridiclously underposted speed limits.
Haven't they proven that tailgating causes exponentially more accidents than speeding does? I can't recall the study... I've given tailgating some more thought, and the next time someone is right on my bumper I should call 911 and report it as vehicular assault.
snowcat is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals. Whitford Off-Topic 37 03-16-2009 11:47 AM
Are key-gens dangerous? Akina Off-Topic 10 09-18-2007 08:18 PM
What are the signs your Struts/ Springs are wearing out? snow111 Brakes, Steering & Suspension 9 02-12-2007 04:54 PM
traffic sign you don't see every day shpshift Off-Topic 62 03-18-2004 04:02 PM
Are you a dangerous driver? 10 ways to tell Mike Wevrick Off-Topic 30 01-31-2004 07:16 PM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:23 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - 2019, North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Inc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission
Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.