Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Pedestrian safety

Awful Pedestrian Shaming Campaign Gets the Smackdown It Deserves

2:13 PM EST on November 7, 2016

Montgomery County, Maryland, used this ill-considered poster to blame pedestrians who are hit by cars. Photo: Montgomery County

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."

The message was the county's response to two recent pedestrian fatalities. According to the county, police will be ticketing drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists who break laws. The victim-blaming posters combined with the everyone-gets-fined approach to enforcement tells us this "safety campaign" won't make pedestrians any safer.

On Twitter, Colin Browne succinctly summed up what's wrong with Montgomery County's approach:

.@MontgomeryCoMD here I fixed it for you pic.twitter.com/yJKfUVcKKT

— Colin (@ColinTBrowne) November 3, 2016

Can Montgomery County replace its campaign imagery with Colin's version?

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Angie Schmitt

Angie Schmitt is the author of Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, and the former editor of Streetsblog USA.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Today's Headlines

Thursday’s Headlines Don’t Like Riding on the Passenger Side

Can you take me to the store, and then the bank? I've got five dollars you can put in the tank.

April 25, 2024
Speed

Study: When Speed Limits Rise on Interstates, So Do Crash Hot Spots on Nearby Roads

Rising interstate speeds don't just make roads deadlier for people who drive on them — and local decision makers need to be prepared.

April 25, 2024
Today's Headlines

Should Wednesday’s Headlines 86 SUVs?

American tax law encourages people to buy the gas-guzzling and deadly vehicles, but some in Canada are pushing to ban them.

April 24, 2024
Streetsblog CaliforniaBrightline West (former XpressWest)

Brightline West Breaks Ground on Vegas to SoCal High-Speed Rail

Brightline West will be a 218-mile 186-mile-per-hour rail line from Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga — about 40 miles east of downtown L.A. — expected to open in 2028.

April 23, 2024
See all posts