One writer argues that rules that prioritize driver safety and ignore pedestrian infrastructure have led to a sharp increase in fatalities on U.S. roads.

Despite the COVID-induced reduction in miles driven in 2020, the number of people killed in vehicle crashes rose by 8% over 2019, with 42,000 people dying on U.S. roads, according to the National Safety Council. Calculated on a per-mile basis, writes Sara Bronin in Bloomberg CityLab, this amounts to a 24% increase in deaths—"the highest year-over-year jump in 96 years."
According to Bronin, "outdated, industry-written laws lock in street designs that encourage excessive speed, and we drive vehicles known to be deadly to non-drivers." While distracted driving and the rise of smartphones plays a small role, other countries have managed to keep their fatalities low. "Compare us with Germany, for example, where a love for speed and widespread cellphone use has not resulted in the death rates we see in the U.S. German traffic deaths fell 12% in 2020, which tracks the country’s 11% decrease in traffic volume."
Bronin writes that this is largely due to the fact that U.S. road design rules prioritize speed. The "Green Book," an influential design manual used widely across federal, state, and local governments, is "written without public input by traffic engineers at the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)." The manual, according to Bronin, "requires lanes that are too wide, which encourages cars to drive faster, and practically ignores pedestrians and bikers. "
Fire codes requiring 20-foot wide unobstructed paths also dominate street design. Additionally, the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) "recommends setting speed limits that match the 85th percentile of actual free-flowing traffic, rounded up to the nearest 5 miles per hour. In effect, drivers breaking the law by speeding justifies raising speed limits even more."
Lastly, "U.S. safety regulators prioritize the people inside the vehicle, largely ignoring the non-passenger impact of passenger vehicles." Oversized vehicles with "huge frontal surfaces and poor forward vision" which would fail to meet European standards prove more dangerous to pedestrians and other drivers.
Reversing these trends, writes Bronin, calls for changing our regulatory culture. Her proposals for improving design rules include "diversify[ing] the people who codify road design," taking lessons from Complete Streets and other existing programs designed to slow traffic and improve pedestrian safety, increasing public input to design manuals, and prioritizing non-driver safety in the design of roads and vehicles.
FULL STORY: The Rules That Made U.S. Roads So Deadly

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Poorest NYC Neighborhoods Pay Price for Delivery Boom
The rise of ‘last-mile’ e-commerce warehouses — and their attendant truck traffic and air pollution — is disproportionately impacting the most historically disadvantaged parts of the city.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland