Here is a great book review on what looks like an interesting book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us). It appears that traffic is more about psychology than road design.

I've certainly experienced "parking foreplay" where people will spend 5 minutes driving around the parking lot to find that perfect space so they can save 30 seconds walking. Some are then reluctant to leave as they do not want to loose that perfect space. My favorite place to see that is in a gym parking lot. Everyone goes to the gym to exercise right? But they still do not want to walk far to/from their car. I can't help feeling life has bigger fish to fry.

People have really upped their game for digi-necking. As if slowing down to look wasn't enough. People are now snapping pictures on their cell phones!