Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)

In this lively and eye-opening investigation, Tom Vanderbilt examines the perceptual limits and cognitive underpinnings that make us worse drivers than we think we actually are. He demonstrates why plans to protect pedestrians from cars often lead to more accidents, uncovers who is more likely to honk at whom - and why, explains why traffic jams form, outlines the unintended consequences of our quest for safety, and even identifies the most common mistake drivers make in parking lots.

Traffic is about more than driving: it's about human nature; it will change the way we see ourselves and the world around us, and it might even make us better drivers.