A “shared space” traffic experiment suggests we might not be as stupid and selfish as left-wingers assume

To be honest, I’ve always approved of traffic lights: as a driver, they mean I don’t have to think too much, and, as a pedestrian, they mean I know when I can safely cross the road. But the above film suggests that handing the responsibility for our own actions back to us makes us behave more sensibly – and cuts traffic jams.

I found this video on the libertarian Dick Puddlecote blog (which you can visit here), where I also found proof that Poynton is by no means the only place to jettison lights in favour of allowing drivers and pedestrians to exercise self-control:

As the Dick Puddlecote blog puts it:

Libertarians believe that people are innately social, that they can interact harmoniously with minimal authority. Statists believe that no-one can be trusted to wipe their own nose without someone being paid to instruct them. Libertarians like people, statists fundamentally distrust them.

Shame about blind people, of course – and, let’s face it, there are some countries where you’d have to think long and hard about implementing something like this (no names, no pack-drill) - but, nevertheless, it's nice to encounter proof that we don't automatically turn into moronic, selfish monsters when the socialist nanny state leaves us to muddle along together.