You could blame every mistake on not accounting for human nature. It is a general catch-all and has to be one of the worst imaginable excuses.

There are ample cases where the safest and most efficient route are not the most direct. In the context of auto traffic, cloverleaf interchanges, one-way roads, arterial thoroughfares, and traffic circles are prime examples.

As for commercial trucks: it was a residential road. You can tell by all the houses.