Equality Streets

Forcing people to use their cars less through measures such as round-the-clock 20mph limits is oppressive. Dictators use oppression. We are supposed to live in a democracy. With the proliferation of traffic lights and “safety” cameras, there is already excessive intervention from officials who abuse our ability to think for ourselves. On the other hand, changing the basic rule of the road from priority to equality – so drivers give way to others who arrive first, on foot or on wheels, in urban as well as rural settings – harnesses instead of hampers our social nature. Moreover, it would make roads intrinsically safe instead of intrinsically dangerous, cut journey times for everyone, save colossal public expenditure on oppressive regulation, and enhance air quality as well as quality of life and space.