What Draws Conspiracy Theorists to Traffic Calming Plans?

Pointing to an example from Oxford, England, The Guardian’s Peter Walker explores why conspiracy theorists are drawn to traffic calming plans, claiming there are more sinister reasons behind them.

According to the theories, promoted by far-right Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, among others, “Oxford’s traffic plan, they insist, is the first step in a global plot led by – depending on who you listen to – the World Economic Forum (WEF) or the UN, designed to strip people of their fundamental rights and personal possessions in the name of the environment.” Walker first debunks the claims. “It is worth stressing that no trip will be impossible, though some could be longer than before, with drivers instead having to use a less central route such as the city’s ring road.”

According to Walker, conspiracies connected to cars and traffic abound in part because “efforts to limit people’s right to drive, whether in previous years through residents’ parking zones, or more recently with low-traffic neighbourhoods, have often prompted a furious response, usually from a noisy minority.” These fears tie in with “climate conspirators,” who believe climate change is an elaborate scheme to bring the world under the control of an international cabal.

Why should we care about a small group of people believing absurd claims? “One significant worry is that people objecting to traffic restrictions can easily become exposed to much murkier ideas,” Walker explains.