"The way to fight #crime is not with stops based on hunches and pretext, but by investing proactively in communities and with #policing targeted at people for whom there is suspicion of serious criminal conduct.
On the other hand, there is a real #trafficSafety problem in this country… #transportation officials should focus their efforts... better lighting… #protectedBikeLanes & pedestrian crossings; self-ticketing cars with speed limiters, … [#transit]" 🚎 🚲
On traffic engineers sabotaging cities that want to improve safety:
"There can be only one agenda... There are many great engineers out there ready to prioritize public safety... Any city council wanting to can find these people, empower them, and support them so that they can do great things."
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town. Charles Marohn.
Yesterday my partner's car was smashed by a massive suburban assault vehicle. We were lucky to suffer no serious injuries. Today I wrote about it: why these #cars should not exist, and why focusing on the behavior of drivers is a distraction. The real problem is the sociopaths at GMC and other major auto companies.
"It's going to take you a minute longer to make your journey, and we will save 10 people's lives in Wales every year as a result of that one minute contribution - it doesn't seem an unfair bargain," said Mark Drakeford Wales' first minister
Seems pretty obvious that our streets are unsafe because even "safety" projects like bike lanes or crosswalks focus their primary goals and expense squarely on maintaining car speeds and volumes, the two factors that are most hazardous to #trafficSafety. If #trafficEngineers can't reduce lane widths and counts, why even involve them? #banCars#DefundDOTs#visionZero
#Driverless Taxis Blocked Ambulance in Fatal Accident, San Francisco Fire Dept. Says
"Jeanine Nicholson, chief of the Fire Department, said that 'seconds matter' in such incidents and the problem was that responders were not able to access to the patient."
NHTSA is finally considering updating safety scores for vehicles to take into account danger to pedestrians outside the vehicle. But their proposal could be a lot better. Here's an easy way to send a comment on the upcoming regulation: (comment closes July 25)
I strongly believe that I shouldn’t have to wear special reflective to be the perfect crash victim when biking. I refuse to do it. I have reflective strips on my bags and on my bike, and ride with lights.
Part of it is that when I die from a driver hitting me, I don’t want to look ridiculous. (I’m vain.)
Another big part of it is research (like my last repost) that shows drivers treat people in reflective gear as less human.
"channeling online curiosity and anger about car-centric policy can include advocating for new solutions in front of one's city council, protesting deadly intersections, joining a traffic-related commission, participating in public city planning meetings, or exploring the legality of carrying out DIY [#tacticalUrbanism] safety measures like painting a crosswalk when the city refuses to provide one. #TrafficSafety groups exist in major cities across the U.S." #BanCars
For decades, federal #safety
regulators ignored credible scientific #research and failed to take simple steps to stop gruesome roadway crashes involving heavy #trucks.
“Large-scale cars, trucks, and SUVs, like the Ford F-150 and the Cadillac Escalade, put their drivers in a position away from the front of the vehicle and lifted into the air, meaning that drivers cannot see the ground for ten to twenty feet directly in front of them.”—Connor Herbert of Bike League https://bikemonterey.org/making-eye-contact-with-drivers-vehicle-size-and-other-perils.html