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> because everyone drives incredibly slowly and cautiously since the experience is scary as hell

Apparently there are fewer accidents on the roads when the traffic lights aren’t working. The reason is exactly that - everyone is terrified and drives really slowly to make up for it.

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I've read that yields can often be safer than stop signs for the same reason.

Just to throw off the statistics: We have a road in town that used to be a straight run through the forest. Suddently it got a yield sign and a bus road crossing it. This ofcourse lead to a number of accidents with cars driving into busses not noticing the yield sign. So next step was stop signs. Still lots of accidents though, since this road has been alone so long and was built for 70 km/h from the start so you don't get any hints about that you should slow down. Then came the thick white lines across the road at regular intervals before the crossing. Still accidents. Now they built some stone divider between the lanes so you have to go a little to the side and can't blow straight through the crossing. I'm just waiting for the speed bumps, that is usually the first stage already, bit confusing that they didn't do that yet.

Over here everyone takes dead lights for green lights/no lights

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