The town of Bohmte, Germany, has decided that the best way to improve road safety is ... to remove all traffic lights and stop signs downtown!
From September 12, all traffic controls will disappear from the center of the western town of Bohmte to try to reduce accidents and make life easier for pedestrians.
In an area used by 13,500 cars every day, drivers and pedestrians will enjoy equal right of way, Klaus Goedejohann, the town's mayor, told Reuters.
"Traffic will no longer be dominant," he said.
The idea of removing signs to improve road safety, called "Shared Space," was developed by Dutch traffic specialist Hans Monderman, and is supported by the European Union.
When the city of Auckland suffered a major and embarassing power outage back in the Nineties, trafficlights were down across the CBD and surrounding area for some weeks - most drivers behaved courteously and patiently at the now-uncontrolled intersections, and traffic seemed to flow more smoothly than it did when under the tyranny of electrical control; of course, there was less traffic in the CBD due to the power outage as well.
No reason it shouldn't work, especially in Germany, where the citizens have more respect for the law and - to quote the cliche - are highly efficient...
wait...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjrEQaG5jPM
yeaaah! no traffic lights! *honk* *honk*