A recent response to the traffic safety crisis in New Mexico was yet another example of the status quo approach of criminalizing individual behavior—particularly the behavior of the most vulnerable—in an effort to make the full system safer. It’s time for a better approach.
When we design our roads for the speed of vehicles, we sacrifice safety and comfort for everyone, including people who primarily travel behind a wheel.
Smart Growth America has been writing about the need for changes to street design for a long time—the first edition of Dangerous by Design came out in 2009. Despite the discouraging trends in pedestrian safety, our message remains consistent. In order to make environments safer for people walking, we need to actually change our environments. The data is clear that improving street design to slow cars, reduce conflict points, and proper and consistent infrastructure for pedestrians is the only way we’ll move the needle on safety.