Pedestrian safety
Milwaukee Street Safety Advocates Make Their Case With Reports for Each Council District
One of the most effective ways to get elected officials to pay attention to traffic safety is to spell out the dangers in their own districts. A new effort from a coalition in Milwaukee does just that, crafting reports for each of the city's 15 aldermanic districts on the eve of the Wisconsin Bike Summit.
May 4, 2017
What Will It Take for Sacramento to Make Walking Safer in Poor Neighborhoods?
Police and city planners in Sacramento have come under scrutiny in the weeks since police were caught on tape assaulting Nandi Cain, Jr., a black man, during a jaywalking stop. Cain, who was legally using an unmarked crosswalk, has since filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city. Now, reporters are looking into why there are so few marked crosswalks in one of Sacramento's poorest areas.
April 27, 2017
Get Ready for More PSAs Blaming Traffic Violence Victims for “Drunk Walking”
This week, the Governors Highway Safety Administration issued a press release telling state DOTs that instead of telling people not to drink and drive, they should tell everyone, including pedestrians and cyclists, not to drink and go anywhere.
April 13, 2017
The Traffic Safety Establishment Needs to Take More Responsibility for Soaring Pedestrian Deaths
America's traffic safety establishment has long been focused on "behavioral" explanations for traffic deaths -- things like seatbelt usage and drunk driving. By ignoring the role of the high-speed, car-centric transportation systems they've created, they don't have to face their own culpability.
April 6, 2017
The Today Show Completely Botched Its Coverage of America’s Pedestrian Safety Crisis
They say you should never let a crisis go to waste. Well, there's a life-threatening crisis happening for people who walk in this country, but our national media is wasting this chance to inform the public how to fix it.
March 31, 2017
How Engineering Standards for Cars Endanger People Crossing the Street
At the Landmark Interchange by Fenway Park in Boston, people trying to walk across the street sometimes have to wait as long as two minutes for a signal. And that, says Northeastern University Civil Engineering Professor Peter Furth, is dangerous.
March 3, 2017
Nashville Police Call Driver Who Struck Protesters a “Victim”
A 68-year-old man who ran his car through a group of protesters in Nashville not only won't be charged, but is being treated by local law enforcement as though he were the victim of a crime. And to make matters worse, a state legislator wants to codify legal immunity for drivers who strike protesters.
February 15, 2017
North Dakota May Make It Legal to Run Over Protestors
North Dakota state rep Keith Kempenich has had enough of people exercising their right to assembly and free expression. In response to the protests at Standing Rock, Kempenich has introduced legislation to shield drivers from penalty who unintentionally strike a pedestrian "obstructing vehicular traffic."
January 18, 2017
The Unequal Toll of Pedestrian Deaths
News reports tend to blame the victims of these crashes for transgressions like "distracted walking" or crossing where they shouldn't have. But a new analysis from Smart Growth America highlights how pedestrian deaths are a systemic problem caused by the dangerous design of our streets and transportation systems.
January 10, 2017
Awful Pedestrian Shaming Campaign Gets the Smackdown It Deserves
This PSA from Montgomery County, Maryland, has got to be one of the all-time worst examples of pedestrian shaming. The young girl with tire treads across her face, it's implied, was struck and killed by a driver because she was "wearing black."
November 7, 2016
