America Hasn’t Seen a Spike in Traffic Deaths This Bad in 50 Years
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America's traffic safety record is going from bad to worse -- and federal transportation officials aren't speaking up about it.
Recent Streetsblog USA posts about NHTSA
Why Are Carmakers Allowed to Sell Products That Go Faster Than 100 MPH?
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It's never safe to drive 115 mph on public roadways. Why do we allow companies to sell millions of cars that can reach those speeds or higher?
Will US DOT’s Self-Driving Car Rules Make Streets Safe for Walking and Biking?
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This week, U.S. DOT released guidelines for self-driving cars, a significant step as regulators prepare for companies to bring this new technology to market. Autonomous vehicles raise all sorts of questions about urban transportation systems. It’s up to advocates to ensure that the technology helps accomplish broader goals like safer streets and more efficient use of urban space, […]
U.S. Traffic Fatalities Rising Fast — Especially Pedestrian and Cyclist Deaths
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Traffic fatalities in America hit a seven-year high in 2015, with pedestrians and cyclists accounting for a disproportionate share of the alarming increase, according to preliminary data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Last year, 35,200 people were killed in traffic — a 7.7 percent increase over 2014 and the worst death toll since 2008. The number of people killed while […]
AAA: Distracted Driving Now Standard in New Cars, Thanks to In-Dash Devices
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Distracted driving isn’t just about texting — it’s the mental effort of multi-tasking that makes people less alert and more dangerous behind the wheel. As hands-free devices like in-dash, voice-activated computer systems proliferate in new-model cars, they create additional risks. Using these devices can cause lingering distractions for up to 27 seconds after the task is completed, according to […]
How America’s Staggering Traffic Death Rate Became Matter-of-Fact
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How did more than 30,000 annual motor vehicle deaths become something that most Americans accept as normal? A new paper by Boston University professor Itai Vardi tries to answer that question. Vardi reviewed American attitudes toward the problem of traffic deaths, starting in the early era of automobile growth, when there was a great deal of “moral panic” about […]