econgirl
  • Home
  • blog
  • Recipes
  • Links
  • Liz's 15 Minute Guides

BLOG

Is the "Tamale Turn" efficient?

2/22/2013

3 Comments

 
Picture
Tamale has a number of traffic norms that would make a driver's ed teacher turn to drink on the road. 

A classic example is the "Tamale turn", pictured at left. In Tamale, if you are making a left turn off of an arterial, and there is vehicle waiting to turn left ON to the arterial, rather than pass in front of the other vehicle, you pass behind them, while they simultaneously turn onto the arterial. 

One can see why drivers might think this makes sense. Both vehicles can turn at once, and if the arterial is busy, the vehicle waiting to turn on to it can take advantage of the other vehicle slowing down.

But as traffic gets denser, the Tamale turn becomes more hazardous. If there are several vehicles waiting to turn on to the arterial, the vehicle turning off the arterial has to negotiate a route behind the turning vehicle, and in front of the waiting vehicles, who may not be on the lookout for a turning vehicle. And more vehicles in the intersection at once raises the risk of a collision as well. 

As Tamale's traffic worsens, many similar traffic norms, such as running red lights and passing on the right, technically illegal but general practice in Tamale, will become less efficient and more hazardous. But they will already be ingrained as the standard. 

What to do? Some ideas:
1. Give driver's licenses based on merit rather than bribes, to give drivers an incentive to learn the rules on the books. 

2. Ticket drivers for practices that threaten public safety rather than focusing on trivial offenses easy to convert to payouts. 

 Your additional ideas are welcome in the comments!

3 Comments
Lee link
2/22/2013 08:31:34 am

Remove the streetlights?

http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2010/08/spontaneous-order-on-the-road.html

Reply
Friv 5 link
3/17/2014 05:14:25 pm

Awesome post, i got a lot of information from your post.

Reply
Kizi link
5/6/2014 10:59:30 am

Very good post. You've included all the great information in this post. Cheers!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    About Liz

    I have worked in economic policy and research in Washington, D.C. and Ghana. My husband and I recently moved to Guyana, where I am working for the Ministry of Finance. I like riding motorcycle, outdoor sports, foreign currencies, capybaras, and having opinions. 

    Archives

    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    October 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009

    Categories

    All
    Auto Industry
    Behavioral Economics
    Budget
    China
    Conflict
    Corruption
    Crime
    Currency
    Development
    Dollar
    Economic Data
    Economists
    Environment
    Fashion
    Federal Reserve
    Finance
    Food
    Gender
    Ghana
    Haiti
    Health Care
    India
    Inflation
    Microeconomics
    Money
    Politics
    Poverty
    Race
    Rcts
    Reading Recommendations
    Regulation
    Religion
    Sports
    Stimulus
    Survey
    Taxes
    Technology
    Trade
    Travel
    Viewing Recommendations

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • blog
  • Recipes
  • Links
  • Liz's 15 Minute Guides