Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt demonstrates how traffic says who we are. As a reader and a driver I can relate to how my driving behavior in traffic and out of traffic express the type of conduct I show in life. This is what Traffic is mainly about, grabbing the reader's attention to a broad subject that no one else would ever consider, by evaluating traffic with human nature. It is simply stated, in several ways, that we as drivers engage in road behavior the same as we do with everyday routines.

Reading Vanderbilt's thoughts and ideas, I was easily able to share his exact notions because driving is an everyday thing. We tend to not think much about driving as a whole but once reading, I realized that it is not only that bad drivers exist but that we all, especially those who claim to be the best drivers have the worst attitudes on the roads. He clearly states how when the horn is broken, there goes that finger (and you know which finger it is). Sad to say, but it is true. He used several tests and experiments to even show that even ants have better lane-sense and merging-sense than us humans do.

Not only can someone with driving experience relate to his point of view but as well as passengers in the vehicle. Everyone has seen or been across road-rage or have actually engaged in it, as unflattering of a sight it is, it exists.

As detailed his book was, it was explicitly clear that traffic is not only something we dread, but something that cannot be avoided that we still try to bypass. There is no way out, only a way of making traffic move quicker. This is how we tend to try to get through life as well, and as hard as it is to foresee the best at all times we still must keep moving on as best as possible.

I admire Tom Vanderbilt for taking the risk of writing about an issue so insignificant to most and making it into one of the most truthful and relative books I have read. He definitely succeeds his purpose of informing the audience that traffic exemplifies who we are because it definitely says a lot about us.

So the question is what does your driving say about you?