I am excited when technology is intelligently applied to address societal challenges. As one who has had my fair share of fender-benders, I acknowledge that speed limits are warranted and effective in reducing property and human damage.
A minor digression: For those who think that slow driving is safe driving, that is not true. One of the primary reasons accidents occur is the delta in speed between the flow of traffic and an unexpected slow or fast vehicle. Granny weaving at 54 mph on Highway 280 is as dangerous as Johnny Highschool testing the limits of his Honda Accord.
— end digression.
The first time I saw an electronic speed limit sign, I was impressed. It certainly shamed me into tapping the brake pad. I think we have all seen these. They look something like this:
The above sign is well-designed in many ways.
- The speed limit can be variable. Theoretically, a traffic engineer may program the speed limit to reduce by 5–10 miles per hour at night time.
- The sign shows the current limit against the driver’s speed and also provides a command (in this case “slow down”).
Let’s consider the ways to improve the efficacy of these digital speed limit signs.
“You catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar”
The phrasing is wrong. “Slow Please” is more polite, and I would argue, more effective.
I may have an abnormally high sensitivity to command-and-control authority, but when I see the command to “Slow Down” flashing in my face, one of my thoughts is “Don’t tell me what to do!”.
I would be far more obliging to slow to the recommended speed with a more courteous request.
“Slow Down” is all stick and no carrot. I like carrots. Who doesn’t?
Where is our pat on the back for driving properly?
Here a simple solution.
Road rage is a real thing. Driving at high velocity in a metal box brings out angst and inner-demons of many otherwise pleasant humans. A little courtesy and positive reinforcement might be a nice way to diffuse some tension on the roads.
