The Answer to Raging Hoons is Traffic Calming

Calm traffic hoons with subtlety rather than a big stick, says Agamedes. You can always use the big stick as well.

Do you need new -- lateral -- thinking for your own problems? email nick leth at gmail dot com. Need solutions? No worries. Now.

Traffic calming.

"Traffic calming is the slowing or reduction of motor-vehicle traffic to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists and improve the environment for residents." That's from Wikipedia. There's even a traffic calming website:

"Definitions of traffic calming vary, but they all share the goal of reducing vehicle speeds, improving safety, and enhancing quality of life. Some include all three "Es," traffic education, enforcement, and engineering. Most definitions focus on engineering measures to change driver behavior. Some focus on engineering measures that compel drivers to slow down, excluding those that use barriers to divert traffic." www.TrafficCalming.org

So what?!

In Western Australia we have laws to take cars away from hoon drivers. In almost twelve months, 1,827 cars have been impounded for hoon offences committed by their drivers (The West, 23 Jun 10).

A few weeks ago, The West reported that residents were complaining that their street was used as a race track by hoon drivers.

And yet...

We still build roads to be wide and smooth -- ideal for racing. We still build roads to be straight and long -- ideal for speeding, spinning and fast get-aways.

Here's a thought: Build the roads for normal use.

Read up on traffic calming. At least one West Australian academic has done some reading on the subject. Ask around and look around. "Slow down" our roads, so that drivers will also -- naturally -- slow down.

Design our built environment for essential transport. Not for speeding hoons.

Independent thinking & independent analysis of your problems by Agamedes Consulting. Support for your thought: email nick leth at gmail dot com