Interesting thread! I'm a driving instructor, so can you imagine what I sometimes have to put up with?!
Tailgating has become a big problem in the UK. The number of cars on our mostly windy and narrow roads has doubled over the past 20 years or so, and it seems like everyone is in a hurry!!
I've lived in countries where 4 way stop intersections are the norm, and they do have certain advantages... but.. and I almost hate to admit this.... Traffic Circles or 'round-a-bouts' as they are called here, do seem to have the edge when it comes to keeping traffic moving.
I live in the city of Cambridge, and can only remember seeing 2 stop streets in the entire city. But traffic circles are everywhere. Most T junctions also have been converted into 'mini round-a-bouts'.
The craziest one I've ever seen though, is in the south-west of the country - take a look at the 'Magic Roundabout'...
More details
here!
Scary stuff!! You can go multiple routes around it - either clockwise or anti-clockwise.... Just the sign can strike fear in a stranger in town!
If nothing else, the crazy ones have to slow down to go around the circle, so 'T bone' accidents are rare, and much less likely to be serious or fatal when they do happen.
Regarding overtaking - its obviously one of the most dangerous things we ever have to do as drivers. Sadly, it's something that is not so easy to teach. We instructors mainly concentrate on getting people to look ahead, think and plan what they need to do.
When being passed, the big thing is to be aware (by using mirrors) that you are being overtaken, and to either keep your speed steady, or back-off to save the idiot from having a head-on!
I wonder how long it will be until cars become autonomous - will a human even be allowed to drive themselves??