What would happen if traffic lights, signs, lanes, and curbs between streets and sidewalks were removed from an intersection where many cars and pedestrians pass through? Actually, such a place does exist.
In the center of a small city, there is the Laweiplein roundabout in Drachten, the Netherlands. At first, people worried that drivers and pedestrians would be confused and sudden accidents would occur. However, the result was totally opposite from what they had expected.
As most traffic signals were taken away, drivers were more alert and pedestrians became more careful. They would gesture politely and make eye contact with each other. As drivers and pedestrians became more responsible, they did not violate any traffic signals or run red lights. Consequently, accident rates decreased and created a continuous flow of traffic. Many other cities took notice of the unexpected positive results and adopted the same system.
Ben Hamilton-Baillie, the urban designer who participated in the project, said, “People are not robots that move along the traffic lights hung in the air, but intellectual beings who use their body and mind. We must not forget this.”
The world will be more harmonious and thoughtful when we yield to one another and consider others rather than just relying on laws and regulations.