Car crashes
Why the States With the Worst Distracted Driving Laws Have the Least Distracted Driving
The states with the highest rates of distracted driving per mile aren't always the states that report the most distraction-related crashes, or the ones with the most lax distraction laws, a new report finds — and it could be a sign that America needs a broader set of tools to fight the deadly epidemic.
May 4, 2023
Advocates Urge Feds Not To Weaken Already-Weak Crash Reporting Guidelines
A new set of federal crash reporting guidelines could actually encourage cities to collect less data about the systemic factors behind the national traffic violence epidemic by treating basic information about road design at crash sites as optional.
May 1, 2023
Study: SUV Drivers Cause 55% Worse Injuries To Bicyclists They Hit
Just like pedestrians, bicyclists who are struck by SUV drivers endure significantly more severe injuries — particularly to the head — than those struck by the drivers of smaller cars, a new study finds, adding to a mountain of evidence that suggests regulators should do more to rein in deadly vehicle designs that are increasingly dominating U.S. roads.
April 13, 2023
How Does Toxic Masculinity Play Out On Our Roads — And How Do We Stop It?
On this episode of the Brake, host Kea Wilson sits down with researcher and urban planning professor Tara Goddard to talk about how toxic masculinity plays out on our roads and what can we be done to stop it. Listen in.
April 11, 2023
Why States Require Insurance Cos. to Sell Policies to the Most Dangerous Drivers
When drivers are too dangerous to buy traditional insurance, states often require insurance companies to sell it to them anyway at steep cost. Is that a good thing for road safety?
February 15, 2023
‘Every Infrastructure Choice is a Safety Choice’: Secretary Pete Calls on U.S. Mayors To End Traffic Deaths
Secretary Pete Buttigieg is targetting what he calls “maybe the most acute and devastating problem in our entire transportation system: roadway deaths in America.” Here are a few highlights from his recent speech.
February 8, 2023
How Deadly Are Your Community’s Streets? New Data Tool from USDOT Shows the Hard Truth
A new federal tool helps Americans see at a glance exactly how deadly traffic violence is in their community — and how their neighbors stack up.
February 8, 2023
Road Deaths Surged Alongside Covid — But Who Died, Exactly?
The surge of traffic deaths in the first year of the pandemic can't be completely explained by quarantine-emptied roads that made speeding easy — and new data on who, exactly, was involved in those crashes may lead to more questions than answers.
January 9, 2023
Four Ways Automotive Regulators Could Save Pedestrian Lives
America's top regulatory agency is failing its mandate to “keep people safe on America’s roadways” — and to truly accomplish it, they need to fundamentally change the way they operate.
January 4, 2023
How Traffic Engineers Blame You for Their Profession’s Mistakes
Street design and land use are at the root cause of a lot of the traffic safety challenges we see across the country, said one urban planner.
December 16, 2022
