traffic safety
Wisconsin’s Dairy Industry Relies on Undocumented Immigrants, but the State Won’t Let Them Legally Drive
Undocumented immigrants in the state can own and register their vehicles, but they aren’t allowed to drive them, forcing many farm workers to risk fines and arrest. “It’s a Catch-22 for a lot of folks,” advocates say.
August 7, 2023
Two Chicago Drivers Crash Into Buildings; One Kills Teen
Chicagoans shouldn't have to wait until a driver strikes their building for city officials to make safety upgrades.
July 25, 2023
Why Regulators Are Ignoring 90% Of ‘Underride’ Crash Deaths — And Not Counting Vulnerable Road Users At All
Every year, hundreds of people die horrific deaths in underride crashes U.S. roads. But a new documentary says regulators aren't counting the vast majority of them — or mandating a simple technology to save their lives.
June 15, 2023
Five Better Ways to Do Traffic Safety Education Beyond PSAs
Too often, road user "education" in the U.S. looks like pedestrian-shaming PSAs, flimsy driver's ed courses, and lame signs on the side of the road. Streetsblog readers say there's a better way.
June 14, 2023
Counter-Intuitive Department: Sometimes, Traffic Controls Make Streets More Dangerous
Since the very first center line appeared on a Michigan road in 1911, many have questioned whether the design norms that govern U.S. roads really make them "safe", or simply less dangerous than the anarchic days of early motordom — though still nowhere near as safe as the days before the car dominated American roads at all. Here's why.
January 18, 2023
Driving is the New Smoking: Lessons From America’s Public Health Victory Over Tobacco
Smoking, once a celebrated totem of American culture, is increasingly an ostracized habit of the marginal few. Getting there, though, took deliberate vision, coordinated efforts, and persistent policy trial and error over decades — and those efforts reveal a partial roadmap for breaking our country’s similarly dangerous addiction to cars.
September 2, 2022
Study: SUVs Are Indeed Death Machines for Children and Black Road Users
Maybe the 354th story with this headline will finally change some minds — or some federal regulations.
July 7, 2022
Why Tesla Can Program Its Cars to Break Road Safety Laws
The controversial automaker introduced a new feature that allows drivers to pick one of three custom driving profiles: "chill," "average," and "assertive."
January 12, 2022
Vision Zero Cities Op-Ed: Lessons from Britain’s ‘School Streets’
How London learned to keep children safe and healthier by restricting cars.
October 18, 2021
LaSpata’s ordinance would remove reference to traffic “accidents” from Municipal Code

April 5, 2021