Traffic Jams and How To Stop Them

http://on.ted.com/Eliasson

Eliasson in this Ted Talk researches the ways in which governments try to curb traffic Jams. He explains that people's driving habits and attitudes are consistently changing, almost as much as day to day, and that it is important to not tell people what to do but to "nudge" them. As an example he discusses how a road toll in his home city of Stockholm initially was not well received but over time it was accepted until its intended effects became obsolete in five years. This traffic jam research shows the importance of longitudinal studies and how understanding that as people's attitudes change so does the research in order to provide services like roads to better be capable of serving people.