Traffic Fatalities
New Study Reveals Causes of Lower American Life Expectancy
A study published February 9 in the Journal of the American Medical Association points to three reasons for the life expectancy being lower for Americans than in other developed nations. Care to guess what they are?
It's not Zero, But Traffic Deaths Decreased Last Year in New York City
Traffic deaths dropped by 27 in 2015 to 230, a reduction of over 10 percent from 2014. Pedestrian deaths decreased only slightly. Bicyclists fared better: deaths dropped by 30 percent.
Staten Island Hasn't Seen the Good Side of Vision Zero
The early results of New York City's far reaching Vision Zero initiative to reduce traffic fatalities to zero has produced positive results—everywhere except Staten Island.
Traffic Fatalities Rising Again—As Does the Blame Game
Traffic fatalities are on pace to reach 35,000 in the United States this year. Some advocates are saying it's time for traffic engineers to stop blaming the victims.
Mapping U.S. Road Fatalities from 2003-2014
An intrepid mapmaker and data cruncher has created a map that illustrates the ubiquity of fatalities on U.S. roads and highways.
Distracted Walking: Finally, Some Hard Data
It's serious, and the data is surprising. You need not be a pedestrian to experience injury while walking using your cell phone: half of all injuries occurred in the home. Two thirds of all walking-using-cell phone injuries were females.
Educational Level Linked to Traffic Fatalities
A new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology has linked an increase in the likelihood of being in a traffic fatality to a person's educational level.
DUIDs Rival DUIs as Cause of Driver Fatalities
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs, be they prescription, illegal, or marijuana, now accounts for 40 percent of driver fatalities, about the same as alcohol-related deaths, according to a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Traffic Deaths in California Continue to Rise—How to Stem the Tide
Traffic fatalities in California have been rising since 2010, rising to 3,104 in 2013 after decreasing from 2006 to 2010. Experts point to several specific reasons for the increase; one of the most prominent may be in your hand right now.
Sprawl Connected to Traffic Fatalities in Louisville
A Louisville case study of the findings and recommendations of the World Resource Institute's "Cities Safer By Design" report.
Traffic Deaths Soar—Is Cheap Gas a Culprit?
An August 17 press release from the National Safety Council indicates the United States is on track to exceed 40,000 road deaths this year, the highest since 2007. A January NPR report links the spike to decreased gas prices.
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.
7 Principles for Designing Safe Cities
A World Research Institute report offers seven prescriptions for designing safer cities. At the top of the list: avoid sprawl.
Malcolm Gladwell on Transportation Safety
Looking at the history of car recalls, Gladwell recognizes a tension between the way engineers see malfunctions and how the public sees them. It's easy to blame the machine, but that doesn't always solve the problem.
AAA Takes on Teenage Driving in New Study
Teenagers have a lot on their minds, which is not a bad thing, except when it comes to getting behind the wheel. A report released March 25 reveals that six out of ten teen crashes involve driver distraction—400 percent greater than a prior study.
Examining Rail's Safety Record after Metro-North's Worst Crash
A column in The Week argues that notwithstanding Tuesday's horrific crash of a Metro-North train that killed five passengers, rail is a much safer mode than driving. However, rail deaths are increasing.
Big Cities Make Pedestrian Safety a Priority
New data released Dec. 19 by NHTSA shows increased safety for those traveling by car, but pedestrian fatalities are 15% higher than in 2009. Plans by San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago to increase ped safety are described by the WSJ.
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.
U.S. Street Safety Compares Poorly to Other Developed Countries
A new report from the International Transportation Forum (ITF) shows America's shortcomings on street safety compared to its peer nations.
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.
Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
