<
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-06-16/why-france-offers-lessons-for-road-safety-in-the-us>
"Traffic deaths in the US surged at an annual rate of 10.5% last year, the
fastest pace on record, to an estimated 42,915 fatalities. Pedestrians are at
particular risk; 2021 saw an estimated 7,265 deaths among those on foot, the
highest total in 40 years.
Although leaders like Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg
have repeatedly warned of a “national crisis” in roadway safety, they seldom
emphasize its uniquely American nature. Roadways in Canada, the European Union,
Japan and Australia have generally grown safer in recent years — both before
the pandemic and during it.
Why did the US become a global outlier in its failure to improve road safety?
Urban Institute researcher (and occasional
Bloomberg CityLab contributor)
Yonah Freemark explored this question in his new analysis of roadway death
trends in France and the United States, as well as in a second post that
focuses on vehicle weight fees. After years of moving in tandem with the US,
French fatality rates plummeted during the last 30 years, while American
streets grew more dangerous.
Today, the average US resident is around three times as likely to die while
traveling on a highway or street than a French resident. Freemark estimates
that the US would have seen 387,000 fewer roadway deaths since 1994 if its
traffic death rate had mirrored the French decline.
As the toll on the streets draws broader media attention and brings fresh
demands for policy changes,
Bloomberg CityLab’s David Zipper spoke with
Freemark about what lessons US leaders could take from their counterparts in
France. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity."
Via
The Fixer July 13, 2022:
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/france-safe-streets-traffic-deaths/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
