Behaviour

It’s an unfortunate reality in nearly every major city—road congestion, especially during rush hours. Jonas Eliasson reveals how subtly nudging just a small percentage of drivers to stay off major roads can make traffic jams a thing of the past.

For the sake of making my point, I'm going to divide traffic rule violators into three categories; those that don't know the rules, those that make honest mistakes and those who are selfish and don't think about what their actions might result in. I know that I try my best not to be in the first category and despite my best efforts am occasionally part of the second category. Hopefully I am never in the last category.

I watched a commercial truck begin to leave the brake check as I approached the summit of Highway 4 outside of Port Alberni today. I knew that if the driver accelerated as he was entitled to I would have to follow him for a few kilometers of downhill grade at speeds significantly lower than the 80 km/h speed limit. I wasn't in a hurry, but I wasn't looking forward to this either.

What are we thinking about when we drive? More and more often I am convinced that we are thinking about anything but the driving task. Please be assured that when I say this I am giving drivers credit that they know how to drive properly in the first place.

Have you ever met anyone who would admit to being less than a better than average driver? The next time you are having a casual conversation in a group ask this question. Changes are good that the majority of the people there will rate themselves as better than average, something that cannot be as half of us have to be less than average drivers.

We all like to think that we are observant and as safe drivers, nothing should get by our eagle eyes. However, there is a feature of how our brain processes what we are seeing called situational blindness. This video from the UK is actually part of a cycling safety campaign and shows how much the scene in our visual field can change without us noticing.

Human error is responsible for between 75% and 90% of crashes, but this report from Australia suggests that the system that a driver makes the error within needs to be more carefully examined. The system either contributes to the error or shapes the driver's behaviour that produces the error.

Dynamic speed display signs are popping up beside B.C.'s Highways. They display the speed of passing vehicles above a sign showing the posted speed limit. Are these signs useful in persuading drivers to keep to the limit and if so, how effective are they?

Spring ahead this weekend as Daylight Saving Time begins for another year. However, watch out for a lack of spring in your step as you drive to work on Monday morning. The crash rate then is 23% higher than the crash rate of the preceding Monday according to the BCAA Traffic Safety Foundation.

Watch AT&T's new 10-minute documentary titled "The Last Text," featuring stories of real individuals whose lives have been adversely affected by texting behind the wheel.