Another intriguing use of Google Earth: to map statistical likelihood of car crashes, from Ohio State University. Interesting stuff, though it doesn’t explore what I think is the key factor in crashes: unpredictability. In a place like the UK everyone follows strict rules (supposedly), so any deviation is unpredictable and therefore likely to cause an accident. In a place like Indonesia the only predictable element is that drivers won’t be predictable, so other drivers allow for odd behavior. Statistically, there should be many more crashes in a place like Jakarta than there are. Why? Because everyone knows other drivers will do weird things, and so they’re ready for them.
 clipped from www.technologyreview.com
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Jeremy,
A few years ago, I was in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon. Getting across the road was hell because the motorbikes, trucks and a few cars never stopped. AFIR there was only one set of traffic lights. It semed like ten minutes at the kerb or every crossing. Then I understood – an old lady, bent under poles carrying collapsed cardboard boxes, showed me the way. She just steadily walked across without looking anywhere but ahead. Her movement was predictable and everyone flowed around her. I tried it. It worked.
I’m not sure I would do it now though, when drivers on mobile phones might not be observant enough to “flow round”.
Roy: interesting idea, that maybe phones have changed the ‘plateau of predictability’ that such systems rely on…