Walking Shouldn’t Be So Dangerous in the U.S.

Walking should not be so dangerous in the US

By Megha Satyanarayana

I like to walk. In the southern large city, it is a good way to run a nice weather or running giant, without dealing with gas or parking. I’m not alone; In the big street I usually take, other pedestrians are always around me, without need or pleasure.

However, they are cars, from the same street. The driver’s coast without stoppage signals or flat, installed cross lights are not a major crossroads. I’ve seen the intersections that I remind you that I remind you of pedestrians for the crossroads.

I’ve been one of those who were near Miss. It was scary. My heart is pounds every time I get to that block. I keep waiting for someone’s alert neighborhood alert. Or die. It’s so dumb I have to worry about that. But I do it. According to the data studied by disease control and prevention researchers Recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly ReportAbout 20 pedestrians die every day by someone who drives the car in the US. They were 7,522 pedestrians in 2022. Researchers notice that the death rates of pedestrians in other countries are going down. Ours is not really.

To help Science Journalism

If you enjoy this article, consider entering award-winning journalism Subscribe. By purchasing subscription, you are helping to ensure the future of stories about the discoveries and ideas that are conformed to today.

It’s absurd. We should be able to ride in the US, without fear of making it down. But we cannot, largely because it has become a problem Ideology herb war. We can’t tamper Car cultureI don’t care Role to regulate climate change. People enter Rural areas don’t walkThought goes, so why do they need sidewalks? I don’t care that 7.5% of rural residents say As a mode of transportAnd 56% said they did for leisure. And as often happens In this countryIf a problem affects people those who are bad or not whiteIt is not a problem resolving.

We need to stop knocking people with our cars. To make this happen, the change in the culture we need must be everywhere, public civil servants, drivers, cars and government agencies. The US Transport Department describes this Approaching the safe system-No work together to reduce the deaths associated with cars. And it makes sense.

But, culturally, to actually work, we need to stop falling prey because they completely paint these problems and make progress. Liberals drive SUVs. Conservatives want sidewalks. If we are not very versus all of us remember that we all want the same thing, the ability to walk when we want, safely. South Korea (through Lower-speed limitations and Citizen awareness campaigns) and Poland (through enforcement and Large penalties on the speed) From 2013 to 2022 he saw significant pedestrian death rates. Why can’t we?

One of these absolutes is that having traveling cities or towns is not less cars, cars, Taxes or tolls in cars“Yes any idea that feels like a punishment for car drivers.” In many parts of the US, buying cars is not realistic Comprehensive public transport and high-density remodelings often protect from political or taxpayer. We can do these places, both rich zip codes both poor, making these roads saferBetter lighting, Larger sidewalks, More prominent crosses? Yes, of course we can. This does not mean that these areas must dismiss public filter and mixed use, but it means improving what happens, in addition to developing something new.

It is only to be treated as a way to listen to another idea of ​​going to yuppies only, To see a box You want to rent urban planning what you want to decide. Translation is the problem of civil rightsNew York, San Francisco and other compact, dense and dense cities, are safe streets, to go to work, school, child care, shop, foot, whatever. Wider sidewares and good lighting are key. Often, we treat it as a walker marketing function, rather than a survival, the promise broken to the least strongest in our communities. And so where are the best sidewalks, the brightest lights and the highest speed in many US cities? No places they need the most.

On the other hand, we treat cars as a need. But Cars are getting more and more expensiveEven aside the fare drama. Many Americans can’t afford a used car, let’s not be new. In February a Typical car payment in the US It was $ 748. People cannot pay insurance. Gas. Repairs. Then for people who can pay a car, older cars have fewer security features, including sensors that warns a possible collision. While we drive, we are on our phone. In 2021, 644 pedestrians, riders and other people outside cars distracted drivers killed In the US

In the last months of the Biden Administration, the National Traffic Safety Administration proposed the new rule that cars needed to make the design and security changes Minimize mental wounds Pedestrian collision. The rule would be specifically applied to the collection trucks and large SUVs, among the most popular and dangerous US cars. In November 2024, the Department of Transport, in the NHTSA Houses, asked More time for public comment. This comment period would end in mid-December. I asked him for now the rule of Trump-Led Nhtsa this week, did he still be in deliberation? They didn’t confirm and address me Docket page Comments sent with more than 5,800, but no more. And automobiles? Some people have argued that Automatic braking systems are enough. Evidence otherwise suggestsThese larger cars shows that more pedestrians are dying.

Where does that leave us? Public officials need to understand where people walk and make it safer place. Drivers, fight distractions and deadlines, they need to look for pedestrians. Automators must take pedestrian safety once, calling their lobbyives to try to block the guiles of regulations that would save life. No lack of foot. Anyone who tells you to set it has to bend themselves.

This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views indicated by the author or authors are not necessarily American scientific.