What If We Remove All Traffic Signs?

The things you encounter at every step in the streets of a city traffic lights, road signs and pavements… Almost every street in Turkey is exactly as we described.

But what if none of these restrictions existed? At first glance, this idea may be may seem to equate to chaos and turmoil But we have an answer that will surprise you.

Let’s take a look at two different intersections: One is full of traffic signals, lights and boundaries; the other is completely devoid of signs and clear rules. Which one seems safer?

Various cities in Europe, All kinds of vehicles and pedestrians together He began testing such streets where he roamed freely. At first glance, this situation may seem like a harbinger of disaster.

Surprisingly getting rid of all those signs and barriers It can make our streets safer. How Does? To understand this, we will look at a town that has experienced this transformation, namely Poynton, England, on Google Street View.

Poynton, from a complex stack of traffic signs and lights in 2011 to 2015 to a situation where all this infrastructure is destroyed has made the transition. Traffic lights, road signs, pavements were all erased, and this new order came to the streets of Britain. a brand new breath brought it.

So how does this system work?

The elimination of distinctions, It makes everyone a little more careful than usual. And in this way, vehicles generally slow down. In the experiment in Poynton, people and vehicles interacted more thanks to the removal of traffic lights.

In this way, transit times were shortened and it created a slowing psychological effect on drivers. cars naturally tend to slow down dead.

However, this situation It may not always work as desired. For example, an observation made in Elwick Square in Ashford revealed that pedestrians still cling to their old habits.

These new regulations can cause stress and may feel unsafe for some. However, if we look back to the early 1900s, there were vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians move freely We can see a period. At that time, such separation was not needed due to speed limits.

So can it really be safer?

Turkey’s only answer to this question is Sinop, the city without traffic signs Let’s give it over. Of course, the traffic light was brought to the city 21 years later, but the answer lies exactly here.

This regulation we are talking about is its own order and society Thanks to this, it can work in European cities, but when it comes to Turkey, we cannot say the same thing.

The recent serious accidents at intersections in Sinop have led to the General Directorate of Highways not being able to complete the intersection. Adding 20 traffic lights why?

Tragic events following the removal of some traffic lights and ongoing concerns about the safety of disabled people show that these designs do not work in all cases.

At one point, there were even calls for a temporary halt to such designs. However Designs considered for disabled individuals, It shows that these fields can work for everyone.

In conclusion It may be impressive but For successful implementation, research that considers the needs of a wide segment of society is needed.

These experiences inspire us to rethink city life, but not every innovation has its own set of difficulties It brings with it.

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