Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Trucks

Large trucks are especially dangerous on city streets, and the Trump administration wants to roll back rules to prevent drowsy big rig driving. Image: Photo: WNBC via Daily News

Trump Administration’s Push to Roll Back Truck Safety Rules Will Cost People Their Lives

By Angie Schmitt | Dec 5, 2017 | 2 Comments

Nearly 4,000 people lost their lives in crashes involving large trucks in 2015. Now the Trump administration is about to make the problem worse.

Why American Trucks Are So Deadly for Pedestrians and Cyclists

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 31, 2016 | 9 Comments

Large trucks are a leading killer of cyclists and pedestrians in urban areas. While London has recently decided to kick the most dangerous trucks out of the city, in the U.S., truck safety regulations are much further behind. Engineer Alex Epstein of the Volpe Center, a research arm of U.S. DOT, spent five years examining how truck design […]

How American Cities Can Protect Cyclists From Deadly Trucks

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 25, 2016 | 1 Comment

Heavy trucks kill. They account for as much as 32 percent of cyclist deaths in New York City and 58 percent in London, far out of proportion to their share of traffic. Across the U.S., 1,746 bicyclists and pedestrians have been killed in collisions with commercial trucks over the last five years. For cities looking to reduce traffic […]

London Is Going to Ban the Deadliest Trucks From Its Streets

By Angie Schmitt | Oct 21, 2016 | 21 Comments

Heavy trucks with big blind spots are a deadly menace to cyclists and pedestrians. In Boston, eight of the nine cyclist fatalities between 2012 and 2014 involved commercial vehicles, according to the Boston Cyclists Union [PDF]. Between June and September this year, there were six cyclist fatalities in Chicago, and all six involved commercial vehicles. In New York City, drivers […]

The Appalling Rollback of Truck Safety Provisions in the DRIVE Act

By Tanya Snyder | Aug 28, 2015 | 21 Comments

A battle is brewing over the Senate transportation bill’s approach to truck safety. Though large trucks are involved in crashes that kill nearly 4,000 people a year — a number that has grown by 17 percent over the past five years — the DRIVE Act actually rolls back what few protections exist. The bill would allow […]

After Another Cyclist Dies, David Cameron Considers Truck Ban in UK Cities

By Tanya Snyder | Jul 21, 2015 | 37 Comments

Following the death of 26-year-old cyclist Ying Tao, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would look into a truck ban for city centers throughout the UK. In a meeting with the British equivalent of the Congressional Bike Caucus, Cameron promised to ask Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to come up with recommendations for improving cycling […]

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