An intrepid mapmaker and data cruncher has created a map that illustrates the ubiquity of fatalities on U.S. roads and highways.
Max Galka gathered the data from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) into an interactive map that shows "373,377 points, one for each person who died in a vehicle crash between 2004 and 2013."
Each of the icons on the mapping representing data points also shows more information about the crash—i.e., whether the victim was a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, for instance. "Optionally, the map allows you to highlight crashes by contributing factor: alcohol, speeding, or distracted driving (using the Dept of Transportation’s definition)," adds Galka.
The map is an example of the democratic power of new mapping and data tools. Max Galka runs the Metrocosm website and created the map by himself, but people all over the country are picking up the story and sharing it online.
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