Safety
Basics
How Fire Departments Stopped Worrying and Embraced Safer Street Design
As Portland built out bike lanes and pedestrian safety measures, fears about slower response times did not materialize.
May 29, 2018
“I Can’t Go Everywhere that I Thought I Could Go”: When Black and Brown Cyclists Need Safety from More than Traffic
“I knew where I was,” muses Slimm, the 25-year-old road captain from the Los Ryderz Bike Club regarding his fateful decision to roll past 65th on Broadway – the heart of East Coast Crips territory, “but I was just riding by…”
May 2, 2018
We Know SUV Design Kills Pedestrians, But We Still Let Carmakers Sell Them
The same design features that kill and maim pedestrians are what automakers rely on to appeal to consumers.
October 19, 2017
America Hasn’t Seen a Spike in Traffic Deaths This Bad in 50 Years
America's traffic safety record is going from bad to worse -- and federal transportation officials aren't speaking up about it.
October 11, 2017
NTSB: Speed Kills, and We’re Not Doing Enough to Stop It
More than 112,500 people lost their lives in speed-related crashes from 2005 to 2014, accounting for 31 percent of all traffic deaths in America over that period. In a draft report released earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board says excessive speed is a deadly problem in our nation's transportation system -- one that federal and state officials aren't doing enough to address.
July 27, 2017
Self-Driving Cars Should Accommodate People, Not the Other Way Around
You think victim-blaming is bad now? Making everyone walk or bike with a "don't hit me" device would further penalize the most vulnerable.
July 25, 2017
Why Are Florida’s Streets So Deadly for Cycling?
A recent study funded by the Florida Department of Transportation takes an in-depth look at why the state's streets are so deadly -- and what can be done to change that.
July 21, 2017
How Ethical Is Your Driving?
Most of us who drive don't spend much time weighing the morals of our behavior as motorists, but we should. Otherwise, by the time the ethical implications of our behavior are clear, it's probably going to be too late.
July 14, 2017
What Do Drivers Really Think of Cyclists?
There's ample research out there backing up the safety benefits of streets with protected bikeways and slow car speeds. But what about the critically important yet less tangible factor of individual attitudes -- how does the mind of the person behind the wheel affect driver behavior toward cyclists? A new report from Portland State University looks at the question.
June 28, 2017
Can Algorithms Design Safer Intersections?
Cities and tech firms are deploying new technology to gauge risks at dangerous intersections. These sensors, cameras, and machine-learning algorithms are promising, especially when it comes to measuring close calls that don't result in crashes - but cities are still figuring out how they can use this information. In the meantime, there's no reason to wait on designing safe streets.
June 7, 2017
