The latest study paints a grim image of American roads: Every day, 20 people step out and are being killed by a vehicle.
“There there are more pedestrians killed than have been in years,” Russ Martin, the Director of government and policy relations for the Governors Highway Safety Association, said to NPR.
The group, which monitors pedestrian deaths across the U.S., estimates that more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed in the course of driving in the year 2000 which is the highest quantity since. The final number could be higher due to the fact the fact that Oklahoma could not provide information due to a technical glitch.
Pedestrian deaths have increased since 2010 due to the dangers of road infrastructure as well as presence of SUVs that tend to be more hazardous for pedestrians than small cars According to Martin. As the pandemic swept through, there was a greater rise in the number of pedestrian deaths, as roads became empty and became a breeding ground for drivers who speed and are distracted.
The epidemic has diminished but the incidence that involve reckless driving — as well as consequently the amount of Americans who are killed walkingis still. The latest data, which was released on Friday, shows that the U.S. continues to lag in the fight to increase road safety even though experts believe that some solutions are possible.
States beneath that of the Sun Belt ranked as having the highest percentage of pedestrian deaths by 2022.
For the seventh time in consecutive years, New Mexico was ranked as the most hazardous state for pedestrians.
Arizona along with Florida were also included among the top two states due to high rates of pedestrian deaths, according to the GHSA’s estimations.
It’s not an accident that the three states are located under the nation’s Sun Belt. Martin stated that Southern states are more likely to have more traffic fatalities, though it’s not entirely certain the reason.
There are many theories to consider In larger states, the communities are spread out more and, as a result the need for driving more frequently to travel around, he explained. A different possibility would be Southern states have more pleasant climate and people are more active outdoors.
“This is just speculation however I believe it’s worth taking more of a look at what’s happening in these countries,” he added.
Local legislators can put in place the measures for traffic calming now
Safety for drivers has been a slog throughout the U.S. for years but there are solutions at the legislators’ disposal to tackle the issue in the present, says Peter Norton, a professor at the University of Virginia who has researched the history of car the driving experience in America.
“The most effective things we can accomplish will take time, however, there are things we can start doing right now that don’t require any money and have a significant impact,” he said.
For example, using sharp corners instead of circular curves at the ends of roads causes drivers to slow down as they turn and prevents them from the speed limit from being exceeded. This method, along with the addition of pedestrian islands and big sidewalk bulb-outs is referred to as “traffic calm.”
Norton stated that installing red light cameras and speeding cameras can be very efficient if they are properly implemented. The addition of bike lanes could make drivers more vigilant on the road.
Reducing speed limits is an important thing to do, but only if implemented and incorporated into other security measures. Norton advised that roads with mixed vehicles of various speeds are more hazardous.
There are also regional and local initiatives that the GHSA mentioned that could aid in preventing deaths.
In Hawaii Police officers have been stationed at areas which have witnessed a greater number of accidents or pedestrian traffic to watch out for dangerous driving.
In Idaho the highway safety office of the state distributed walks audits for citizens to determine safety issues in the streets. Local officials then utilize these results to improve accessibility of neighborhoods.
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