The worldwide standard should be that people should drive on the right side of the road. The same should apply to aircraft, boats/ships, walking and passing through doors and stairs. Most people tend to be right handed and have a natural tendency to keep right (www.travel-library.com). Creating a global standard to ‘Keep Right’ in all forms of transportation would make life easier for everyone in the long run. Young people, especially, should be taught this practice from an early age.

Also, people entering a main walkway path should yield to people already on that path.

Speed limits should be raised, but then speeding tickets should be issued to anyone who exceeds the new speed limits by more than one MPH.

A red light should be considered to have been illegally run if the front wheels of a vehicle, traveling within 5 mph of the speed limit, have not reached/touched the last line of the crosswalk, or whatever other last line exists before the open intersection is entered, by the time the light changes from yellow to red.

Better Way To Change From Green Light to Red

When signal lights change from green to red, the sequence should be first green only, then yellow only, then yellow and red at the same time, then red only. This entire sequence should last around twice as long as the current yellow only light lasts. This would better indicate to drivers when the light will change from green to red and give them more time to prepare to stop, preventing them from hitting hard on the brakes.

Very Low Traffic Signal Controlled Intersections

The signal lights for traffic on main roads that intersect smaller streets should be set continuously on green (or perhaps with a green and yellow light blinking in series) during periods of low traffic flow such as during the hours between 12 AM and 5 AM. Traffic on the intersecting smaller side streets would see their signals blinking red and yellow in series. The blinking red light would tell drivers to stop and the blinking yellow would warn drivers to be cautious because cross traffic has the green light and the right of way. (If drivers see only a red light blinking they might erroneously think that it is an all way stop leading to a higher risk of accidents.)

All electronic crosswalk signals should either stop blinking 3 seconds before the light changes from green to yellow or all crosswalk signals should countdown the number of seconds to the time the light will change from green to yellow. Furthermore, these crosswalk signals, when possible, should be clearly visible to drivers and not try to be hidden. Such an arrangement will give drivers a more advanced warning of an impending signal change.

Road signs should be kept to a minimum. Road signs should only be put up if the information displayed on them is accurate, absolutely necessary to the safe and orderly flow of traffic and if the information cannot be communicated in either a more logical or intuitive way or if that information cannot be written down on or otherwise communicated through the painting of lines on the road surface or other integrated infrastructure design changes. Necessary road information should be communicated in the least aesthetically intrusive way practical, while, still maintaining a sufficiently high safety factor. Part of this solution is inextricably linked to toughening and administering much more comprehensive driving education and driving tests for all drivers.

Signs that warn of “road construction ahead” or “end of construction” are useless clutter. People only need to know things relating to closed exits or lane shut downs. Drivers only need to know things directly related to navigational issues like traffic flow, traffic safety, slippery roads, etc.

The lettering used on all road signs should be made using both lower and upper case letters, with the lower case letters being no more than 2/3rds the height of the upper case letters. The letters used should be of a sans-serif font, containing absolutely no fancy strokes or unnecessary curves or flairs. All letters should be purely simple and constructed with only the fundamentally important strokes essential to forming the letter. Signs using these easy to read fonts should be phased onto all roadways, but especially on those with speed limits over 75 kilometers per hour (47 MPH).

The pattern of broken white lines dividing two lanes that are about to merge should be painted on the road surface in a manner that would more clearly indicate that the lanes are about to merge. For example, each line segment could continue to be painted straight but at an angle of about 20˚ to the direction of travel. Each such line segment should begin about one or two feet inside the edge of the lane that is about to end (merge) and should terminate about one or two feet inside the lane that is receiving the merging lane. Perhaps even little arrows could be painted at the end of each segment to further indicate into which lane vehicles must merge. The use of such logically painted lines would give drivers a more visible warning that their lane is about to end and that they must merge into the next lane. At the same time, drivers in the lane receiving the merger would be made more aware that another lane is about to merge and to be more cautious. Not only would this information be located at a much more appropriate place, it would also be directed more specifically at only the drivers who need to know this information, namely those located within the two lanes affected by the merger. Using this way to communicate would mean that putting up a sign that indicates a lane merger may not be necessary.

Furthermore, on all roads, especially freeways, when there is a new lane from a different road (such as an on-ramp to a freeway) that is merging with an existing lane, the existing lane should be separated from its neighboring lane (in the same direction of travel) with a solid white line rather than the usual broken white lines that exist between lanes. This solid white line should exist throughout the entire length of the merger and even up to two hundred feet before the beginning of the merger. The idea is to prevent vehicles from entering a lane during the same stretch in which another lanes is merging into it.

Carpool lanes should be eliminated and the freed space should be converted to regular lanes. At the very least, carpool lanes should be opened to everyone on weekends and holidays.

Roadways should be designed for safe use with minimal lighting. Instead of extensively lighting the roadways using lights on tall poles, lighting should be more strategically located on important and significant roadway features. Greater use of reflectors, glow-in-the-dark paints and other highly visible materials could provide safe navigation under lower lighting conditions.

Missing roadway reflectors should be replaced within a week of being noticed missing or defective.

For further safety, greatly increased emphasis would be placed by law enforcement on the proper functioning and maintenance of all automobile/vehicle lights.

Signs ought to be placed on every road to indicate the location of major political boundaries (international, state, or county). Signs indicating the location of city boundaries would be optional.

There should be road signs that indicate the location of notable geographical features (such as major fault lines), historical events, etc. For example, the San Andreas Fault should be identified at every freeway or main road crossing it.

Roadside memorials should be allowed to be placed alongside roads in areas which do not pose a significant visual impairment or distraction for drivers. Permits should be required for such installations and they should be removed after 13 months from the date of the accident unless the government permits an extension for the display.

Signs, plaques or other forms of notation should be placed along roads and other areas to inform passersby of significant events that have taken place at that location in the past. Such things would both educate people and give them a greater sense of understanding and connection to a site.

All manhole covers should be required to be properly put back into their places with any lines painted on them to match those painted on the street.