Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us).(Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)

Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), by Tom Vanderbilt. Alfred A Knopf, a division of Random House of Canada Limited Toronto, ISBN 978-0-307-39772-0. 402 pages (including 91 pages consisting of 285 endnotes).

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Try to picture, for a moment, the white stripes that divide the lanes on a major highway. How long would you guess they are? How much space would you say lies between each stripe? (You will find the answer at the end of this review and on pages 89-90 in the book.)

A. 3 foot stripes, 6 feet between each stripe

B. 4 foot stripes, 4 feet between each stripe

C. 6 foot stripes, 4 feet between each stripe

D. 12 foot stripes, 36 feet between each stripe

E. 36 foot stripes, 18 feet between each stripe

You will be surprised at how much you do not know about our road-related transportation system. Traffic is full of facts and information useful to common day commuters and transportation professionals.

This book is recommended as much for the general interest reader as any safety or training professional dealing with roadway transportation fleets. It offers an opportunity to understand specific factors that may impact business operations or personal commutes.

Tom Vanderbilt writes about design, technology, science, and culture for Wired, Slate, and The New York Times, as well as other publications. His magazine/newspaper journalist style is apparent. This book flows nicely and is broken into sections, allowing the reader to pick and choose sections of interest. Chapter titles and subtitles are intriguing to help guide and draw in the reader. For example, it includes chapters entitled, "Why Does the Other Lane Always Seem to Move Faster? .... How Our Eyes and Minds Betray Us on the Road," and "When Dangerous Roads Are Safer."

Traffic is documented more than many doctoral dissertations, providing the reader with easy, usable citations to facilitate pursuing even further information about a given subject. In addition, the 285 endnotes take up 91 pages and provide much more information than a standard footnote citation.

I am an avid page folder. When I come across an interesting or useful fact that I want to use in the classroom or during my interactions with industry, I turn down the corner of the page. My copy of Traffic is far thicker due to the incredible number of turned-down pages. You will find Traffic filled with both useful and fun information that may modify your own (or your fleet's) driving behavior and help you better understand the motivations behind the behavior of other drivers. Whether dealing with road rage and its causes, roadway design, or future technology, Vanderbilt has it covered.

The book ends with a ten-page epilogue titled "Driving Lessons." Initially I was disappointed that it did not sum up all that I took away from the previous 276 pages. However, each reader really must make their own conclusions. The book offers insights for everyone, insights that may differ for a college professor and a fleet manager. Nevertheless, Traffic is an intriguing and meaningful read.

The answer to the question at the beginning of this review is "D. 12 foot stripes, 36 feet between each stripe." Per Vanderbilt, "The U.S. standard calls for ten feet, though depending on the speed limit of the road, the stripes may be as long as twelve or fourteen feet. Take a look at an overhead photo of a highway: In most cases, the stripe is as long as, or longer than, the cars themselves (the average passenger car is 12.8 feet). The spacing between the stripes is based on a standard three-to-one ratio; thus, for a twelve-foot stripe, there will be thirty-six feet between stripes."

Who knew? I went to maps.google.com to confirm Vanderbilt's statement. I teach a college transportation course and commute daily and was amazed that there is much more behind our traffic system than most of us know. Traffic offers useful insights both for transportation professionals managing their fleet and anyone who commutes to work.

M. Theodore Farris II, EM-AST&L

2008 Austrian-American Fulbright Scholar

2009 Charn Uswachoke International Scholar

Associate Professor of Logistics and Supply Chain Management

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas 76203

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