Road Safety

U.S. Lagging in Making Streets Safer for Pedestrians
Pedestrian deaths are on the rise in the United States, but cities have been slow to implement effective policies and road design measures to change the trend.

The Case for Slower Cities
Lower speed limits make cities safer, more livable, and, in the long run, more functional.

Less Paint, More Barriers, Make for Better Urban Cycling
New research from the University of Colorado Denver and the University of New Mexico sheds light on how to make cities safer for cyclists and other road users and refutes some assumptions about bike safety, such as "safety-in-numbers."

Studies on Media Coverage of Bike and Pedestrian Crashes Reveal Bias
Road safety advocates, particularly those who promote walking and biking, have long understood the importance of language, such as using "crash" rather than "accident." Two new media studies shed more light on bias in media coverage of crashes.

Deadly New York Limousine Crash Prompts Oversight Questions
The deadliest transportation accident in recent years has some asking whether more can be done to regulate modified vehicles, including limos.

U.S. Traffic More Dangerous Than Other Developed Nations
Around the world, car crashes are the tenth leading cause of death, and while the United States is spending money on transportation, that money isn't making the roads safer.

Obama-Era Truck Safety Regulations Up for Debate
The Trump Administration has been defending the interests of the truck industry against regulations proposed during the Obama Administration.

How the U.S. Compares to Other Nations in Road Safety
It's not just death from gun violence where the U.S. is an outlier. The New York Times compiled traffic fatality data showing that other developed nations have greatly lower traffic death rates, which wasn't historically the case.

When Cyclists Break Traffic Laws for Their Own Safety
A study examines whether and why bicyclists break traffic laws to shed light on how rational those laws really are.

California Invented 'Botts' Dots' Raised Pavement Markers—Now it's Phasing Them Out
A staple of the California driving experience will soon be a thing of the past.

City Councils Considering Removing Speed Bumps to Reduce Air Pollution Should Slow Down
According to a report in The Telegraph, some U.K. cities want to use air pollution as a reason to remove speed bumps, Peter Walker argues this idea is ludicrous.

House Rejects Amendment Allowing Heavier Trucks
One of the nearly 270 amendments the House is considering in the $325 billion transportation reauthorization bill would allow individual states to allow heavier trucks to use highways. It was decisively defeated in a floor vote on Tuesday.

Australia's 'Biggest Bike Lane Skeptic'
The New South Wales minister for roads has taken a firm position against separate bike lanes. Sydney cycling advocates say his policies will bring the city out of step with its global peers.

The Origins of Speed Limits
Motor vehicle crashes claim over 30,000 lives per year, with related costs in the hundreds of billions. While we sometimes view that frightening statistic as inevitable, there are reasons to reexamine speed limits and how we set them.

Report: Complete Streets Deliver More Than Just Good Vibes
Better safety and multimodal ease are not the only benefits offered by complete streets. According to this report, on the average they pay for themselves and then some.

Study: Dynamic Road Signs Make for Better Drivers
A psychological experiment finds that warning signs depicting more movement gain more attention, making drivers navigate more carefully.
Now Singing: Route 66 in New Mexico
The pavement along Old Route 66 in New Mexico will now play "America the Beautiful"—but only if you're driving the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour.

Deadly Highway Guardrail Design Questioned
After five deaths, several states have stopped installing FHWA-approved guardrails which have been said "to turn into spears" when hit by vehicles. An Oct. 20 jury verdict awarded $175 million to a whistleblower to be paid by the rail manufacturer.
Underfunded, Deadly Road Infrastructure in Texas
Bloomberg News investigates a rash of road deaths in the Midland-Odessa region, attributing the fatalities to underfunded road infrastructure, increased population, and truck traffic. A November ballot measure may provide some relief.

Bloomberg Donates $125 Million for Urban Transportation
In his second global transportation donation meant to reduce death and injury from transportation, the former NYC mayor will take a decidedly urban focus by directing his foundation to select ten cities to receive $125 million, he announced Monday.
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