A new report is renewing calls to transform transportation systems in a way to keep all users safe. The findings were issued by the Governors Highway Safety Association.
While the issue has caught the attention of law enforcement and policymakers, the report said the upward trend is still a major issue with pedestrian fatalities increasing by nearly 80% since 2010.
Beth Osborne, vice president of transportation and thriving communities for the group Smart Growth America, said the U.S. still has not fully realized the lingering effects of the interstate highway model.”And we have taken this very high-speed traffic and put it through places where a driver would need a lot more time to avoid conflict,” Osborne stressed.
With the growing size of trucks and sport utility vehicles, groups like Osborne’s have been pressuring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to do more to prioritize pedestrian safety as it updates vehicle safety ratings.
In Minnesota, the Legislature recently approved a transportation bill with a number of related provisions, including requiring schools to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety.