German town ditches traffic lights to cut accidents

This just seems like a horrible idea! :doh: Can you imagine trying to cross the road?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070910...any_traffic;_ylt=ApmkaCUz4PJAbGT1RRbhHPPtiBIF

BERLIN (Reuters) - A town council in Germany has decided the best way of improving road safety is to remove all traffic lights and stop signs downtown.

From September 12, all traffic controls will disappear from the centre 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.

i'm not sure who is the bigger idiots. the town council or the people who voted for them.

Living in the stopsign infested US, I'm sure this news comes across as very weird to many people here. It isn't nearly as weird as you think though. There aren't nearly as many stopsigns in Germany as there are in the US, not even a fourth I don't think. But here's how it works.

Normal traffic rules (actually not just in Germany but also in many other European countries) are that the traffic coming from the right has right-of-way. So, where in the US stopsigns are used and the first one to get there has right of way, in Germany, when you approach a crossing or sideroad, you slow down, or even stop, to make sure there is no traffic coming from the right hand side. If not, you're good to go. Traffic includes everything on the road, including bicyles etc..

The only thing they are doing is putting these yield-laws into place on ALL roads, also the ones that previously still had stoplights or stopsigns (and those weren't as many to begin with, compared to the US). It's been done in other towns too, I don't know why this one is making the news, maybe because it's the first time in Germany or something.

Crossing the street isn't a problem either, as there are pedestrian crossings all over the place and you are required to yield if a pedestrian wants to cross.

I can see how if you're only acquainted with the traffic rules and situations in the US it may seem 'horrible' and 'idiot'. Hopefully this little bit of background info helps y'all see that just because it's different from what you're used to, it isn't immediately that, though.

Thanks janet it does explain it well

You're welcome... lol

Heck, I've been away from there for so long that at first glance I was going WTF?? Until I remembered the different traffic laws over there.