Accidents stop as town removes road signs

A town in Germany that scrapped all its traffic lights and road signs in an effort to cut crashes has reported the experiment is "a total success".

"Politeness pays - we have proved that," said Klaus Goedejohann, the Mayor of Bohmte, near Hanover.

A month ago Bohmte banned red-edged triangles, traffic signals, and give-way and stop signs to make drivers masters of their roadway fate.

The idea is based on the European Union-supported "shared space" concept of traffic management developed by the Dutch traffic expert Hans Monderman. According to the theory, road users have to negotiate their behaviour with one another, rather than have it prescribed by rules - the idea being that people will pay more attention to what other road users are doing and hence cause fewer accidents.
 
Nearly 13,000 cars and trucks pour through the town daily. Serious crashes sometimes blipped at seven a month, but that did not take into account the numerous small accidents that police did not get involved in.
 
Now the town reports not a single scrape, shunt, bump or pedestrian injured in the month since the scheme started.

"We are trying to reduce the jungle of road signs which is spreading across Europe - and the scheme seems to be working," said a Bohmte town hall spokeswoman, Sabine de Buhr-Deichsel. "Now we rely on prudence and people being considerate towards each other."

The inhabitants of Bohmte celebrated the start of the scheme, which is backed by a EUR2.3 million ($3.7 million) grant from the EU, with a giant street party. Another benefit of the scheme: Bohmte is saving EUR6000 a month replacing, repainting and repairing signs and signals.