Pedestrian deaths are rising faster in the U.S. than in any other high-income country. A decade-long surge, up 50%, has made the U.S. the most dangerous place to walk among 27 peer nations. Many experts view these deaths not as random accidents but as preventable tragedies that reflect deeper policy failures in transportation, infrastructure, and public safety.
public health
Transportation safety is a public health issue, and our current framework is part of the problem
Traditional transportation safety frameworks like the three Es (Engineering, Enforcement, and Education) are impeding strategies that will reduce traffic deaths and improve overall population health, says a new study. The study introduces the Safe Systems Pyramid, a framing of the Safe Systems approach designed to prioritize policies and programs that incorporate health principles into transportation decision making. By combining public health efforts with transportation strategies and practices, the authors propose an alternative approach that moves away from identifying crash outcomes and toward addressing the causes of safety crises., the authors propose an alternative approach away from identifying crash outcomes and toward addressing the causes of safety crises.