Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and what it says About Us

  • Tom Vanderbilt

Most of us do it every day. Get in the car, put the key in the ignition and pray the traffic gods will smile on us. But how many of us truly know how complicated, in both human and technical terms, our mobile lives really are? What does our behavior behind the wheel really say about us? How does our driving, and the resulting traffic, impact our society as a whole? Why do most car accidents happen close to home and on sunny, clear days? Why more people are killed crossing legally in crosswalks than jaywalking? Why does the other lane always move faster, and why does a 10 minute “incident” create 100 minutes of gridlock? Is there any other place where so many people of varying age, race, class, religion, temperament and political preference interact so freely while moving at high speeds? New research into driving behavior unveils much that is counter-intuitive, surprising and will alter the way we build cars, roads and communities.

Speaker Details

Tom Vanderbilt writes on design, technology, science and culture for many publications including Wired, Slate, the London Review of Books, the Wall Street Journal, Artforum, Rolling Stone, Metropolis and Popular Science. He is contributing editor to the award-winning design magazines I.D. and Print, and contributing writer for the popular blog Design Observer. He lives in Brooklyn and drives a 2001 Volvo V40.Please check out http://sharepoint/sites/visitingspeaker/default.aspx to see upcoming talks, FAQ’s, etc.

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