Skip to content

Streetfilms: Tom Vanderbilt Talks Driver Behavior and Psychology

Whether you’re a transportation geek or just curious about why people do the things they do behind the wheel, Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic is one of the most fascinating books you can open up. Tom, who also writes the excellent blog How We Drive, was kind enough to drop by the Streetfilms office for a conversation about … Continued

Whether you’re a transportation geek or just curious about why people do the things they do behind the wheel, Tom Vanderbilt’s Traffic is one of the most fascinating books you can open up.

Tom, who also writes the excellent blog How We Drive, was kind enough to drop by the Streetfilms office for a conversation about his vast research into the world of car and
driver. Here’s our ten-minute highlight reel of his talk with OpenPlans
founder and Streetsblog publisher Mark Gorton. The interview covers subjects from the Invisible Gorilla to intense DriveCam footage of automobile crashes to the dangers of noise-canceling technology touted by car manufacturers. Whether you drive every day or not at all, you’ll be enlightened about what happens inside people’s heads once they’re inside an automobile.

Photo of Clarence Eckerson Jr.
Clarence Eckerson Jr. has been running Streetfilms for two decades after serving as a producer of BikeTV. He loves the color purple, chocolate chip cookies, and enjoys walking, biking, and taking transit. He has never had a driver's license. But he does have an award from the U.N. (yes, that U.N.!)

More from Streetsblog New York City

Lower Manhattanites Call for Parking Placard Purge

November 10, 2026

‘Sociopaths’ Illegally Blow Safety Redesign Outside Greenpoint School

November 10, 2026

Tuesday’s Headlines: Power Broker Edition

November 10, 2026

Winter Is Coming: Will Mamdani Do A Better Job For Bus Riders And Citi Bikers This Year?

November 9, 2026

Mamdani Needs a Miracle on 34th Street Amid Mystery Delay

November 9, 2026
See all posts