Watch: Why cars rarely crash into buildings in the Netherlands

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With all the discussion recently about how people crash a car or truck into a Seattle building about twice a week, a commenter reminded me of a Not Just Bikes video from a couple years ago about why this rarely happens in the Netherlands:

About the author:

Tom Fucoloro is the Founder and Editor of Seattle Bike Blog. He is also the author of Biking Uphill in the Rain: The Story of Seattle from behind the Handlebars.

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Alkistu

February 21, 2023

I just returned from a bike tour from Frankfurt to Utrecht with Eindhoven on the way. If we don’t try to adopt many of the Dutch standards in urban design, we will fall very short of achieving our goals. I am not saying all of the Dutch design is practical, but we can pick the Dutch design models that fit the need. I watch Not Just Bikes to gain these insights. It was a whole new eye opener to actually ride there. SDOT Director Greg Spotts has said we will not be limited by those who oppose change for cleaner and healthier cityscapes. Well, let us not resists the world class models coming out of the Netherlands. Eindhoven HovenRing bicycle traffic circle over two major roads. https://www.facebook.com/100000600481899/videos/pcb.6458700517493234/573282104827568
Toby Thaler

February 21, 2023

Thanks for posting that link. Very informative.

I particularly like the call-out of our cultural proclivity for “personal responsibility” (i.e., blaming instead of problem solving). I’m not sure that trait is related to speaking English (is Great Britain the same? Australia?), but still…