Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Streetsblog.net

DC Used to Fly the Skull and Cross-Bones to Mark Each Traffic Death

My, how things change.

This news clip from 1939 shows at one time D.C. took every traffic death very seriously. Can it happen again? Clip: Washington Post via CouncilofDC
A Washington Post report from 1938. Image via CouncilofDC
false

It's always revealing to go back and look at how Americans responded to traffic deaths before they were regarded as an unavoidable aspect of everyday life. The era when the loss of lives to traffic violence was regarded with widespread shock and revulsion has almost faded from living memory.

Here's a glimpse of how different things were nearly 80 years ago in Washington, DC. David Alpert at Greater Greater Washington writes:

The excellent @councilofdc Twitter account, the official one for the District's legislature, tweeted, "Back in 1938, the DC government and the Washington Post ran death flags up a pole if someone died in a car crash."

Only recently, with Vision Zero, are governments like DC's making it a serious priority to end traffic deaths. But there are eighty years of cultural expectations around street design and driving speed which make it difficult to really design streets for safety.

Elsewhere on the Network today: The Urban Edge interviews an author who argues that Phoenix shouldn't be dismissed as a "sustainable city." Seattle Bike Blog has photos of people on bikes taking over two area highways for a big group ride over the weekend. And Bike Walk Lee posts an update on the exciting, TIGER-funded project to redesign streets in Lee County, Florida, for safer walking and biking.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines of Many Colors

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called rainbow crosswalks "a distraction" and called on cities to eliminate them.

July 8, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Are Big and Beautiful

The ginormous GOP tax and spending bill President Trump signed on July 4 will make the air dirtier, a lot of it from tailpipe emissions.

July 7, 2025

The Single Most Important Element In Creating Good Cities

A lot of U.S. cities are getting their "right of way" all wrong — and urbanists can help by getting to know this poorly-understood concept.

July 7, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines Are Charged Up for the Fourth

The Republican megabill is bad for the electric vehicle industry, but it could be worse.

July 3, 2025

Why is the Secretary of Transportation Begging Americans to Take More Road Trips?

Instead of making America easier to see on all modes, the US Department of Transportation is encouraging U.S. residents to just get in their cars and drive.

July 3, 2025

Wednesday’s Headlines Are for the Children

From mothers with babies in strollers to preteens on bikes, much of the U.S. is hostile to families just trying to get around without a car.

July 2, 2025
See all posts