In this history of roads and what they have meant to the people who have driven them, one of Britain's favourite cultural historians reveals how a relatively simple road system turned into a maze-like pattern of roundabouts, flyovers, and spaghetti junctions. Using a unique blend of travel writing, anthropology, history and social observation, he explores how Britain's roads have their roots in unexpected places, from Napoleon's role in the numbering system to the surprising origin of sat-nav. Full of quirky nuggets of history, such as the day trips organised to see the construction of the M1 and the 2.5m Mills and Boons used to build the M6 Toll Road, On Roads also celebrates innovators whose work we take for granted, such as the designers of the road sign system. On subjects ranging from speed limits to driving on the left, and the 'non-places where we stop to the unwritten laws of traffic jams, these hidden stories have never been told together, until now.

As he crisscrosses America—driving in search of the present, the past, and himself—Larry McMurtry shares his fascination with this nation's great trails and the culture that has developed around them. Ever since he was a boy growing up in Texas only a mile from Highway 281, Larry McMurtry has felt the pull of the road. His town was thoroughly landlocked, making the highway his "river, its hidden reaches a mystery and an enticement. I began my life beside it and I want to drift down the entire length of it before I end this book." In Roads, McMurtry embarks on a cross-country trip where his route is also his destination. As he drives, McMurtry reminisces about the places he's seen, the people he's met, and the books he's read, including more than 3,000 books about travel. He explains why watching episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show might be the best way to find joie de vivre in Minnesota; the scenic differences between Route 35 and I-801; which vigilantes lived in Montana and which hailed from Idaho; and the histories of Lewis and Clark, Sitting Bull, and Custer that still haunt Route 2 today. As it makes its way from South Florida to North Dakota, from eastern Long Island to Oregon, Roads is travel writing at its best.

In Roads Were Not Built for Cars, Carlton Reid reveals the pivotal—and largely unrecognized—role that bicyclists played in the development of modern roadways. Reid introduces readers to cycling personalities, such as Henry Ford, and the cycling advocacy groups that influenced early road improvements, literally paving the way for the motor car. When the bicycle morphed from the vehicle of rich transport progressives in the 1890s to the “poor man’s transport” in the 1920s, some cyclists became ardent motorists and were all too happy to forget their cycling roots. But, Reid explains, many motor pioneers continued cycling, celebrating the shared links between transport modes that are now seen as worlds apart. In this engaging and meticulously researched book, Carlton Reid encourages us all to celebrate those links once again.

The International Symposium on Dynamics of Vehicles on Roads and Tracks is the leading international gathering of scientists and engineers from academia and industry in the field of ground vehicle dynamics to present and exchange their latest innovations and breakthroughs. Established in Vienna in 1977, the International Association of Vehicle System Dynamics (IAVSD) has since held its biennial symposia throughout Europe and in the USA, Canada, Japan, South Africa and China. The main objectives of IAVSD are to promote the development of the science of vehicle dynamics and to encourage engineering applications of this field of science, to inform scientists and engineers on the current state-of-the-art in the field of vehicle dynamics and to broaden contacts among persons and organisations of the various countries engaged in scientific research and development in the field of vehicle dynamics and related areas. IAVSD 2017, the 25th Symposium of the International Association of Vehicle System Dynamics was hosted by the Centre for Railway Engineering at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Australia in August 2017. The symposium focused on the following topics related to road and rail vehicles and trains: dynamics and stability; vibration and comfort; suspension; steering; traction and braking; active safety systems; advanced driver assistance systems; autonomous road and rail vehicles; adhesion and friction; wheel-rail contact; tyre-road interaction; aerodynamics and crosswind; pantograph-catenary dynamics; modelling and simulation; driver-vehicle interaction; field and laboratory testing; vehicle control and mechatronics; performance and optimization; instrumentation and condition monitoring; and environmental considerations. Providing a comprehensive review of the latest innovative developments and practical applications in road and rail vehicle dynamics, the 213 papers now published in these proceedings will contribute greatly to a better understanding of related problems and will serve as a reference for researchers and engineers active in this specialised field. Volume 1 contains 78 papers under the subject heading Road.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1838.

From the author of the acclaimed The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle comes a tale of traffic jams, secret plans, and one eleven-year-old boy's determination to save his family's livelihood. Rick Rusek's stomach has a lot to say. It's got opinions on tasty foods, not-so-tasty foods, and driving in traffic-jammed Los Angeles makes it roil, boil, gurgle, and howl. It's doing the best it can. It never meant to earn its owner the nickname Carsick Rick or make him change schools for fifth grade. And Rick's stomach isn't the only one dealing with terrible traffic. His family's catering service, Smotch, is teetering on the verge of ruin after a rash of late deliveries and missed appointments. Fortunately, Rick has the solution. Unfortunately, no one wants to listen to a kid. Absolutely certain that he could fix the constant, endless traffic snarls, Rick hatches a plan. But he'll need help from his unicorn-loving Girl Scout neighbor, a famous street artist, and the best driver in L.A. Together they'll take on the stream of stalled cars--and a secret conspiracy or two, too. It's going to be tough, but Rick won't give up. If he can successfully move the 330,000 slow-moving cars standing in the way of his family's future, maybe everyone will see that he's not Carsick Rick. He's one of the seven wonders of Los Angeles. He's the Colossus of Roads.

Published in association with The Wildlife Society.

Illinois 2021 Rules of the Road handbook, drive safe!