We will most likely see these street markings (just like in the UK) in your neighborhood soon (USA). https://ggwash.org/view/40040/zig-zag-road-stripes-can-get-drivers-to-pay-more-attention
State of Virginia has the street zigzag line markings found in the UK
- Thread starter Escape08
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It’s hard to argue with data, but… why does this work? Usually I think of acclimation and then losing the effect of “newness”. If people were ignoring blinking lights and signs and whatever, why do lines on the road (that people barely pay attention to, you’d swear some people out there could flunk kindergarten) work?
That article is from 2015 and I've seen those pavement markings come and go. They usually go when the road gets restriped.
I attended a Knights of Columbus convention in Virginia several years ago, and upon arrival I was wondering at that time what those zigzag lines at the airport meant
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AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Never seen those. Must not be in the parts of Virginia I’ve been too lol. They aren’t in the southern part of the state where I am.
It's an optical illusion. It creates the illusion the road narrows, which makes people unconsciously slow down and signals to them they need to pay more attention. This is the perfect example of road design we DON'T use in the US. In the US we build a road and then slap a speed limit on it and expect people to follow it. This is why speeding is such a problem on city streets, the streets are designed for a speed of 45+mph but the speed limit is 30 or less. People drive how fast they feel comfortable driving. In Europe they use tricks like this, and actually narrowing the roads at crosswalks to force people to slow down. It's all about making the subconscious part of the brain that handles most of the driving tasks want to drive slower and triggering the response to actually pay more attention.
Here's a good video on the topic.
Lane departure systems are smart enough, and typically won't be very active at low speeds where you'd generally see these be used. These sort of traffic calming measures have been used around the world for a long time, it's just new to the US/Canada, we aren't some special land where things magically stop working.
It is to keep people in Virginia from walking backwards.
CleanSump
Site Donor 2022
I haven't seen them in N.VA near DC. I don't go on every road from DC to Fredericksburg though.
Well intentioned but flawed. It’s based on the assumption that motorists are actually paying attention to the road in front of them and not daydreaming, distracted, texting, talking on the phone, listening to pod casts, etc,etc. Nothing can take the place of a motorist focused on the task at hand...driving.
I like the video, not sure I'd like to deal with that on a regular basis though.
I kinda like it, when I get close to home, that I don't have to think too hard.But... when driving is too easy, it's too easy to try to multi-task. When driving is hard, I wonder how many try to multi-task?
Likely just turn off, same as they do when there aren't inside and/or outside lane markings.
No see, this is literally the point though. Most driving is subconscious, these subtle cues like narrowing of the road, whether actual or illusory because of the lines sends signals to said subconscious brain that it should be paying more attention at this part. This is a proven method to improve road safety- just something good that like roundabouts, haven't become popular in the US until recent years.
Roundabouts suck…. At least in one way…
Having said that….
This is analogous to people trying pass a tractor trailer on the interstate. I have noticed 90 plus percentage of people driving slow down a bit as they are trying to pass a 18 wheeler. That’s a subconscious action I believe too. I have noticed that I typically gain multiple car lengths when someone is following me passing a 18 wheeler.
I overcome that routinely…. I maintain my pace easily.
Having said that….
This is analogous to people trying pass a tractor trailer on the interstate. I have noticed 90 plus percentage of people driving slow down a bit as they are trying to pass a 18 wheeler. That’s a subconscious action I believe too. I have noticed that I typically gain multiple car lengths when someone is following me passing a 18 wheeler.
I overcome that routinely…. I maintain my pace easily.
Something like 80% of all stoplights/4 way stops in the US could be replaced with roundabouts and it would drastically reduce travel time. Most people who complain about them do so because they aren't used to them. There's a reason they are starting to become more popular now here.
I don't mind roundabouts, but they can certainly be done wrong. I think as the amount of traffic goes through it, the larger it likely needs to be. I also am not sure that having multi-lanes in one is a good idea, at least not when it's a small diameter one. Vehicles have to have enough space to change lanes safely.
Roundabouts have been proven time after time to be more efficient for traffic flow. The only issue with them is the drivers.
It's nice drunks are getting jobs now.
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