Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Safety

Study: Living in a City Makes You Safer

By Angie Schmitt | Jul 24, 2013 | 18 Comments

Everyone knows that big American cities are risky, dangerous places — right? Not so fast. A new study published in the Journal of Injury Prevention [PDF] says the conventional wisdom on the safety of cities is backwards. According to the research, people who live in rural areas are 22 percent more likely to suffer fatal […]

There’s No Doubt: Traffic Enforcement Cameras Save Lives

By Angie Schmitt | May 16, 2013 | 64 Comments

Gawker dished out some richly-deserved ridicule to Tennessee State Senator Jon Lundberg yesterday, following reports that he is co-sponsoring legislation to outlaw the specific speeding camera that nabbed him doing 60 in a 45 zone last October. Lundberg denied that the incident had any impact on his decision to sponsor in the legislation, and contested the […]

Surviving a War Abroad Only to Die Back Home Behind the Wheel

By Tanya Snyder | May 6, 2013 | 8 Comments

For many troops who have served in U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, combat is just one of many dangers they face. Upon returning home, they have higher rates of suicide, homelessness, and mental illness. Now we can add another threat to the list: Car crashes. The Washington Post published an astonishing article yesterday about the […]

NHTSA: Traffic Deaths Shot Up 5.3 Percent to 34,080 in 2012

By Tanya Snyder | May 3, 2013 | 14 Comments

Deaths from motor vehicle crashes rose 5.3 percent in 2012, according to new numbers from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [PDF]. It’s the first time since 2005 that fatalities have gone up. Vehicle miles traveled only rose 0.3 percent last year. The winter was especially nasty, with 12.6 percent more deaths than the previous winter. […]

Lawmakers Fret About Impact of Budget Cuts on Transit

By Tanya Snyder | Mar 14, 2013 | 2 Comments

“In 2014, federal investment in surface transportation — which is currently about $50 billion per year — will drop to $6 billion or $7 billion. In one year.” Those were the dire words spoken by Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) at the start of this morning’s Transportation & Infrastructure Committee hearing on MAP-21. What he meant […]

NSC: 36,200 Americans Killed in Traffic in 2012, First Increase in 7 Years

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 21, 2013 | 3 Comments

After seven years of declines, traffic deaths in America rose again in 2012, according to a preliminary estimate by the National Safety Council. An estimated 36,200 people were killed in traffic collisions last year — a five percent increase over 2011, according to the NSC. In 2011, 34,600 people were killed on American roads. Traffic injuries increased […]

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