Vehicles in the U.S. have gotten much larger over the past few decades, and research suggests that this shift has had far-reaching consequences, making roads more dangerous for everyone while increasing emissions and other environmental impacts. A recent New York Times analysis estimates that between 200 and 400 pedestrian deaths each year could have been avoided if cars had remained roughly the same size as they were 25 years ago. While the rise of SUVs and pickup trucks is often treated as the result of a cultural shift or consumer preference, researchers argue that policy has also helped shape today’s vehicle market. If policy helped encourage this shift, it could also help reverse it.
road safety
Transportation disrupted: Building a more resilient system
Recent spikes in gas prices expose a fragile system that financially strains car-dependent households. When prices rise, however, people adapt in surprising ways, especially when they have reliable options. Transportation leaders can seize this moment to take steps toward reducing car dependency and building systems that are resilient by providing more affordable travel choices before the next disruption occurs or if the current trends continue.
Roads less traveled: the safety surprises of big cities
The most effective way to stay safe on city streets is remarkably simple: drive less. A new report from StreetLight Data suggests that the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is the single most important factor in determining how safe a city’s streets are for everyone. Risk is not solely caused by bad drivers; daily driving habits and city layouts play a significant role as well. With U.S. crashes resulting in 2.4 million injuries or deaths in 2023, one of the best safety strategies for planners and engineers is to help people spend less time behind the wheel of a car by making walking, biking, and transit easier to use.
A transportation system that works for grandma benefits everyone
Designing for “all ages and abilities,” – meaning accessible curb ramps, bus stops, and safe bike paths – is not new to most transportation professionals. But meeting the needs of aging Baby Boomers will take a more systemic approach to building for all ages and abilities. Living in places with more developed and reliable transit and sidewalk networks where goods and services are close by is good for seniors, and for everyone else.
Addressing the rise in drunk driving requires a systemic approach
Human behavior is one of the biggest wildcards in preventing traffic deaths and serious injuries. That is why many transportation professionals now focus on designing systems that stay safe even when people inevitably make mistakes. Alcohol impaired driving is once again on the rise in the United States, and decades of awareness, education, and enforcement have not solved this problem. New research shows that alcohol is involved in nearly one-third of all traffic deaths, even as public concern about the issue remains very high. In other words, people know drunk driving is dangerous, but some do it anyway. This is not about excusing impaired driving but about acknowledging reality and designing transportation systems that reduce harm when risky behavior persists.
More states are moving away from the 85th percentile rule to set speeds
States are increasingly moving past the outdated “85th percentile rule” for setting speed limits, weighing factors other than the observed traffic flow in those calculations. The AP recently highlighted Ohio among a wave of efforts to consider roadway context and the presence of walkers and bikers in allowing lower speeds to ensure safer roads. For states looking to follow suit, a newly released report from the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety offers states a data-driven, objective framework to set speed limits based on roadway context, not just vehicle movement.
Emotional perceptions can be a tool for predicting street safety
How a street feels can matter just as much as how it’s physically built. A new study shows that emotional perceptions about whether a street seems inviting, secure, or rundown can help explain safety for people walking or biking—a reminder that planners should think beyond conventional design standards. Road designers should also consider the character and aesthetics of the spaces they create.
Washington State’s new shared streets law could set an example for pedestrian-friendly design nationwide
Washington recently became the first state in the country to authorize “shared streets,” a shift that could reshape how people move in cities across the state and serve as a model nationwide. The measure gives walkers and bikers priority, slows vehicle traffic to 10 miles per hour, and removes jaywalking restrictions. Washington’s law, signed in April, is a major step toward safer, people-centered streets.
Pedestrian deaths aren’t accidents, they’re policy failures
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.
Smaller infrastructure investments help pave the way to safer communities
Road safety is an urgent issue at all levels of government, especially for people walking and biking. Cyclist and pedestrian deaths have increased by. This infrastructure week, we are encouraging more states, cities, and other local governments to help reverse this trend by prioritizing critical safety investments on streets and highways across the country.