I’m sharing this interesting article on the concept and application of optical narrowing to improve road safety:

Erfurt, E. (September 15, 2023) “How to Use Optical Narrowing to Make a Street Safer,” Strong Towns, https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/9/15/how-to-use-optical-narrowing-to-make-a-street-safer?fbclid=IwAR147sLmkMBwStj51FR1ehNcVsi1YpN70etrpGOwv9DHL4ZhJIDLzP8cb1s [Last accessed: 3/14/2024]

To quote from the article:

“We all perceive the world around us through visual reference points. As we look around, we are next to the wall, or across the street from the bank—in other words, we position ourselves relative to what we see. This is even more apparent when we are driving: you may perceive yourself as behind another car, or between the lines on the road.

Drivers make decisions based on these visual cues. If things are further away, we are more inclined to speed up. The auto industry has marketed this as the “freedom of the open road,” and the visual of a wide open road is paired with the acceleration of the car. If no one is near and all the fixed objects, such as curbs and buildings, are far away, then the perception is that we have less risk and we throw caution to the wind.

If things are closer, we are more inclined to slow down. Our natural inclination is caution and possibly a little bit a fear that we may hit something. When you drive on a street where the lanes are a little narrower, or the buildings are at the back of the sidewalk, our reference points become closer. We have to focus, and in an abundance of caution we drive slower. The perspective is that we have more risk, and we pay more attention to counter that risk.”

This would be a good quick reference to planners and engineers who are involved in road safety, particularly in applying complete streets concepts to reduce the risk of crashes along streets.

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