Aug 14, 2006

don't confuse the sheeple

State traffic viziers thought it'd be wise to remind drivers to keep a safe distance between their car and the car in front of them. Their solution: put big dots on the side of the road, eighty feet apart, and signs adjuring drivers to "keep two dots" distant.

The results?
The problem Saturday was that drivers did what they were told - they stuck to the instructions on the signs, Murdock said.

The dots are spaced to keep cars two seconds apart when traffic is moving at the speed limit - 60 mph, she said.

When traffic is moving more slowly, vehicles can be closer because they don't move as far in two seconds. But when speeds were slower during the heavier traffic Saturday, drivers maintained the 160-foot distance, causing long backups behind them, Murdock said.
'Way back in my high school driving course, the teacher warned us to assume that every other driver was either an idiot or an asshole. I've yet to observe otherwise.

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