This interesting news clip (BBC?) draws attention to the newest trend in traffic regulation: eliminating all signs and even clear distinctions between roads and sidewalks. The point is to address the perverse incentives associated with imposed “safety”: the safer we believe we are as drivers and pedestrians, the more recklessly we behave.
I find this experiment interesting because it is unconventional, taps into a counter-intuitive idea, represents a welcome turn away from the usual statist method of command and control, and suggests the type of experimentation you might see under a purely private system.
(Here is a WIRED article on the trend)
