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Traffic

Traffic

By Tom Vanderbilt

Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). Alfred A. Knopf, 2008.

0.0 / 0

21 mins read

17 Key insights

A brief summary of Traffic

Explores the intricate mesh of psychological and sociological elements that make up driving style, unveiling hidden facets of your personality and astonishing insights into the human psyche.

Key insights in Traffic

1
What do you get from this book? Eye-opening revelations on the psychological dynamics of driving
2
Traffic has always been bad, and it’s only getting worse with advanced transportation
3
When humans feel powerless and lose their self-identity, their behavior turns problematic
4
The absence of inhibition normalizes aggression, and only direct interactions can disrupt the spell
5
Humans cannot accurately interpret their own driving, giving machines an advantage
6
Drivers are terrible at concentrating on the road and constantly miss what’s right in front of them
7
Traffic illusions pose significant danger, undermining our trust in our senses
8
The flow of traffic is disrupted by human mood swings and daily variables that are monitored by experts
9
With the rising female workforce, and increased weekend trips, congestion has surged
10
Building new streets won't clear up traffic jams, though taxing highways might just do the trick
11
Everyday traffic hassles like queuing and sign-watching are riskier than you might think
12
How we view road signs and calming measures changes how we interact with them
13
Driving style reflects the type of society in which we live, including levels of corruption
14
We all do our best while on the road, but human nature is inherently flawed
15
Summary of the key insights
16
Selected critiques in brief
17
Final word

Who should read Traffic

Commuters • urban planners • safety advocates • traffic engineers • armchair psychologists • driving instructors

About the author of Traffic

Tom Vanderbilt is an American journalist and author whose written work investigates science and technology, and their impact on culture. He is a contributing writer for the blog Design Observer and many of his pieces have been featured in publications such as New York Times Magazine, Popular Science, and Wired.

author avatar

Tom Vanderbilt

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