Traffic
why we drive the way we do (and what it says about us)
by Tom Vanderbilt · first published 2008
83% recommend17% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Well-researched, readable survey of driver psychology and traffic engineering, covering counterintuitive findings like induced demand and risk compensation; suits anyone curious about traffic or transportation planning.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the YearThe Washington Post - The Cleveland Plain-Dealer - Rocky Mountain NewsIn this brilliant, lively, and eye-opening investigation, Tom Vanderbilt examines the perceptual limits and cognitive underpinnings that make us worse drivers than we think we are. He demonstrates why plans to protect pedestrians from cars often lead to more accidents. He uncovers who is more likely to honk at whom, and why. He explains why traffic jams form, outlines the unintended consequences of our quest for safety, and even identifies the most common mistak
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…run a stop sign, you'll get fined even if nothing happens. If you stop at a stop sign and then in blissful ignorance ram someone who didn't, no harm comes to you (unlike to the other person). The book "Traffic" by Tom Vanderbilt is an interesting read about some counterintuitive things about how traffic works and about how differently engineers in different countries approach safety. I can highly recommend…
on “Is it possible to design a better stop sign? ” ↗Supposedly more road construction doesn’t alleviate traffic, in only induces more demand (which is moderated by high traffic levels) Source (great read if your interested in the subject): https://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307...
on “Welcoming our first riders in San Francisco” ↗I don't have a study to link to but I'm seen how one slow driving cop can cause a bottle neck behind him as noone wants to pass him some links about about how seemingly minor factors can cause traffic jams http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-driving-safety/accidents-h... http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...
on “Data journalism busts speeding cops, wins Pulitzer” ↗So, which was the traffic simulator you worked on? I've always been fascinated by traffic and traffic modelling, read books [1], seen articles where they use cellular automata, psychology, discrete events, etc etc. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307...
on “Europilot: A toolkit for Euro Truck Simulator to develop self-driving algorithms” ↗This is fascinating. The book Traffic [1] talks a great deal about how adding road capacity (e.g. more lanes) can result in zero change in congestion because more people choose to take more trips. But this paradox appears to hold traffic…
on “Braess’s paradox” ↗If you found this article interesting, I heartily recommend the author's book 'Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do' [1]. Most of this article is pretty much an excerpt of one chapter, but the book goes in a lot of directions. [1]: http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...
on “The Traffic Guru” ↗For anyone else fascinated by traffic patterns and driver behavior, I recommend reading Traffic: Why We Drive The Way we Do and What It Says about Us The author goes into fascinating detail about driver psychology and discusses similar ideas…
on “Traffic Hacks: How One Driver Can Vastly Improve Traffic” ↗There's an interesting book on the topic, focusing on the way human behavior affects traffic patterns. It's similar to other behavioral anthropology books like Dan Ariely's 'Predictably Irrational'. Tom Vanderbilt - Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) (http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...)
on “How Traffic Jams are Born” ↗I recommend the excellent book 'Traffic' - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Traffic-drive-what-says-about/dp/014... - it covers this pretty well.
on “Google Maps and Waze” ↗If you enjoy this sort of stuff, the book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us) by Tom Vanderbilt[1] is an enjoyable read. He covers traffic waves and a lot more. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...
on “The Physics Behind Traffic Jams” ↗Very cool! I remember reading about this before. It seems like a weird concept and makes some people mad, but it's real. If you like reading and have ever spent more than an hour or two thinking about traffic and American car culture, consider reading this http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...
on “Bus-only shoulders move you past congestion” ↗If you're really interested in the subject and want to read more without dealing with the wanky blogger writing style check out "Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do" (http://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/03072...).
on “Why 12-Foot Traffic Lanes Are Disastrous for Safety” ↗…large amount of free parking available, especially to non-residents, creates a distorting subsidy in favor of commuting in many areas. If you want to read a great book on the broader subject, check out Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt http://tomvanderbilt.com/books/traffic/
on “Driving a Car in Manhattan Could Cost $11 Under Congestion Plan” ↗Excellent book that mentions this as well as other counterintuitive facts about driving: https://www.amazon.com/Traffic-Drive-What-Says-About/dp/0307...
on “The Zipper Rule on German Roads” ↗I enjoyed the survey that the book _Traffic_ by Tom Vanderbilt provided in the traffic engineering space. Many of the topics discussed in the comments I see here are discussed in the book.
on “Almost every speed limit is too low (2017)” ↗