The small Dutch town of Makkinga is undergoing an interesting experiment: they’ve gotten rid of all their traffic signs. Yep, there are no speed limit signs, no stop signs, no yield signs — no signs of any kind. The theory is that if you aren’t being told how to drive, you’ll drive more courteously. Sound crazy? Well, it happens to be working.

Yes, people drive slower and there are less accidents in the town as there were before the switch. What gives? Hans Monderman, one of the project’s co-founders, explains that:

“The many rules strip us of the most important thing: the ability to be considerate. We’re losing our capacity for socially responsible behavior. The greater the number of prescriptions, the more people’s sense of personal responsibility dwindles.”

That may be so, but somehow I don’t think we’ll be seeing the stop signs disappear here in the States anytime soon.