In NYC & Florida, Asking Police to Step Up for Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety

From the time I worked in the injury prevention program at a public health agency, where dissecting crash data in order to determine countermeasures to prevent future injury and death was among my duties, I became acutely aware of the second-class treatment non-motorists receive in crash investigations. Law enforcement agencies (some are worse offenders than others) seem to operate under the premise that our roadways and bridges are first and foremost for motor vehicles, thus nonmotorists have some degree of fault when a crash occurs simply by virtue of being where we don’t belong. This mindset must change or Florida’s dubious distinction of being the most dangerous state for cyclists and pedestrians in the country will continue.

Stating this, I’m risking my working relationship with some in law enforcement who will take it personally. But those of us who are striving to improve conditions for exposed road users (and there are many) aren’t looking to criticize for the sake of criticism, but rather offering our expertise and insight to help solve a chronic problem. I’d like to think anyone who’s truly committed to doing the same will look to us as a resource and take advantage of what we offer rather than consider us whiners and discontents who are only trying to justify the unpredictable behavior sometimes practiced by the vulnerable among us.

My plea is for our law enforcement agencies to take us up on our offer to assist them in doing their job. We’re not attempting to tell you how to do it, only to help you better understand our plight and the frustration we face so you can make our roads safer and easier for all users to navigate. Granted, law enforcement is only part of the solution, but it’s a vital element that clearly needs improvement.