>>One thing that Marsh and Pareene get into in their article is the difference between what is actually happening—a lack of congestion allowing people to drive too fast and then crashing their cars—and a much different narrative that’s been appearing in the news.
>>that our roads are inherently dangerous, and congestion has been a major force in keeping the accident rate down
I think this nails the problem. Drivers became dull and unskilled as driving became slower. Split second decisions dwindled, and a minority of drivers lost their split second muscle memory. Now anything beyond mundane stop-and-go traffic causes them to drive beyond their ability. When the roads opened up, they physically couldn't keep the car from crashing into something.
>>that our roads are inherently dangerous, and congestion has been a major force in keeping the accident rate down
I think this nails the problem. Drivers became dull and unskilled as driving became slower. Split second decisions dwindled, and a minority of drivers lost their split second muscle memory. Now anything beyond mundane stop-and-go traffic causes them to drive beyond their ability. When the roads opened up, they physically couldn't keep the car from crashing into something.