Traffic Fatalities
Despite Reports, Federal Safety Officials Didn't Act on Danger of SUVs to Pedestrians
A 2015 NHTSA report showed that pedestrians were multiple times more likely to die if struck by SUVs, but that information was neither shared nor acted upon.
Vision Zero, Bad Faith
It seems like Vision Zero never had a chance.
A Famous Former Planning Director and the 'War on Cars'
Former Toronto Planning Director Jennifer Keesmaat is responding to rising pedestrian and bike fatalities in the "Vision Zero" city with a series of calls for action.
Two Strategies for Achieving Vision Zero
To end traffic fatalities while still enabling urban mobility, cars will have to slow down and people will have to travel by other modes.
Insurance Institute: Pedestrian Fatalities Jump 46 Percent from 2009
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study on May 8 that attributes the increased number of pedestrians killed in part to road design that allows for higher speeds, fewer intersections and pedestrian crossings and more SUVs.
Hit-and-Run Traffic Fatalities Reach Record High
Over 2,000 people died from hit-and-run collisions on American roads in 2016, the highest since 2009, claiming a disproportionate amount of pedestrian and cyclist lives. One solution: more protected bike lanes.
How the U.S. Could End Traffic Fatalities by 2050
Taking Vision Zero beyond the local level.
After 34 Years of Complete Streets, Florida Still Deadly for Pedestrians
Florida’s incremental steps toward complete streets have saved thousands of lives, but still left it one of the most dangerous states to walk in.
The Dilemma of Autonomous Vehicle Testing
Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to greatly reduce auto crashes. Advocates want them on the road as early as possible to reduce fatalities. Skeptics worry that the public will be guinea pigs during the testing—case in point: Elaine Herzberg.
Failure of Automated Driving Technology Blamed for First Pedestrian Fatality
Experts who watched the videos taken by onboard cameras equipped in the Volvo SUV that hit Elaine Herzberg determined that Uber's automated driving system failed to perform adequately. The crash points to a need for regulations.
Governors' Report: No Improvement in Pedestrian Fatality Rate Last Year
Elaine Herzberg's death by autonomous vehicle on March 18 in Tempe was a "first," but what of the 224 pedestrians that died last year in Arizona, the nation's most dangerous state for pedestrians according to a 50-state report released Feb. 28?
Tempe Police Chief: Uber AV vs. Pedestrian Crash May Have Been Unavoidable
After viewing the videos taken by two cameras equipped in the Uber autonomous vehicle that fatally struck 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg on Sunday, the chief concluded the crash was difficult to avoid. Also, lessons on the crash from David Leonhardt.
California's Aging Population Getting Into More Traffic Collisions
New data from transportation research group TRIP, shows that fatalities involving at least one driver over 65 years old are up 22% in California.
USDOT and Waze Partner to Predict Fatal Crashes
USDOT hopes to put decades of data collection to new use preventing fatal collisions by predicting when they might occur.
U.S. Traffic More Dangerous Than Other Developed Nations
Around the world, car crashes are the tenth leading cause of death, and while the United States is spending money on transportation, that money isn't making the roads safer.
Vision Zero in Name Only
Many cities say they've adopted Vision Zero, but the numbers show they aren't actually getting any safer.
A Vision Zero Success Story in New York
The 300-foot wide Queens Boulevard has been known as the Boulevard of Death. Since 1990, it has claimed 186 lives, 74 percent being pedestrians, including 18 in 1997 alone. A series of safety improvements have brought fatalities to zero since 2014.
How the U.S. Compares to Other Nations in Road Safety
It's not just death from gun violence where the U.S. is an outlier. The New York Times compiled traffic fatality data showing that other developed nations have greatly lower traffic death rates, which wasn't historically the case.
Dearth of Data Masks Scale of Distracted Driving Fatalities
Bloomberg links the uptick in traffic fatalities throughout the United States to rising smartphone use while driving.
Friday Funny: Crass Bumper Sticker Finally Coughs Up its Traffic Data
You know the bumper sticker. It's the one that begins with the words "How's My Driving?" and ends with a 1-800 number.
Pagination
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello