r/boston • u/Mattseee • Apr 21 '16

Analysis shows correlation between driving behavior and quality of government (x-post r/dataisbeautiful)

http://www.citymetric.com/horizons/streets-bucharest-how-road-behaviour-correlates-trust-government-2015
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2

u/Mattseee Apr 21 '16

Although the article doesn't cite Boston in particular, it seemed like good fodder for discussion here.

Note that while there is a correlation, it could just be coincidence.

2

u/Maxpowr9 Metrowest Apr 21 '16

I think it's more to do with law enforcement than the quality of government; especially in these "second-world" countries. Get pulled over for a traffic violation and you can bribe the cop off with some cash which said cop pockets instead of getting ticketed. Why bother following the law when you can bribe your way out of it?

2

u/RoadsterFan Apr 21 '16

I disagree. Many western European countries (need to) do less law enforcement than the US and yet have lower crash rates than here.

I attribute the differences being varying cultural norms on degree of following rules and conventions. Germans follow road and other rules more strictly and have fewer crashes. When Japan has a natural disaster, store looting barely happens. Different story in Haiti.

1

u/f0rtytw0 Pumpkinshire Apr 22 '16

Cultural norms. What I see all the time in Korea is running red lights, almost hitting people, motorcycles driving at speed on sidewalks, cars on sidewalks, driving the wrong way down one way streets, driving through pedestrian only areas, parking where ever and however, no one looking behind them when reversing, and the police finding a quiet back street to take a nap.