Traffic Fatalities
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Better Late Than Never: Chicago Is Finally Moving Forward With Vision Zero
Back in 2012, the Chicago Department of Transportation put out the Chicago Forward Action Agenda and the Chicago Pedestrian Plan, with the stated goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by 2022. Today Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced the city is finally launching a Vision Zero initiative, an interdepartmental effort improve roadway safety, which means we’re finally catching up with peer cities like New York, which has had a Vision Zero policy for years.
September 6, 2016
How to Counter the Victim-Blaming Impulse After a Traffic Crash
When a driver strikes someone walking or biking, the tendency to blame the victim runs deep. Ask Raquel Nelson, who lost her young son to a hit-and-run driver, then got convicted for vehicular homicide, even though she was just trying to walk across the street with her children from a bus stop to her home. Or witness the reaction to the death of Amanda Phillips, who was struck by a truck driver while biking in Boston last week.
June 27, 2016
More Driving, More People Dying on America’s Streets
On Friday, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration released new data [PDF] showing that traffic deaths are up. Up quite a bit.
February 9, 2016
Texas DOT Isn’t Learning From Its Horrific Road Fatalities Calendar
This calendar is published by the Texas Department of Transportation as part of its traffic safety efforts. It shows how many fatal collisions and traffic deaths happened every day of the year. On average, someone is killed every two and a half hours on Texas streets, and someone is injured every two minutes, according to TxDOT [PDF].
January 8, 2016
Drunk Driver Who Killed Hector Avalos Sentenced to Only 100 Days in Prison
At a hearing today, Judge Nicholas Ford gave Robert Vais, the driver who struck and killed cyclist Hector Avalos while drunk, a relatively light sentence of 100 days in a state prison plus two years probation. Vais must also perform manual labor as part of the Sheriff’s Work Alternative Program once a month for two years, and undergo drug and alcohol treatment.
November 17, 2015
Every Traffic Fatality in the U.S. — Mapped
What is the most dangerous street in your region? Which one most needs improvements to protect cyclists? Where do drunk drivers do the most damage? Thanks to a new tool from New York City data scientist Max Galka, you can get a pretty good sense with a few clicks.
November 6, 2015