Road Safety

De Blasio Outlines Plan to Eliminate NYC Traffic Deaths

Yesterday, Mayor de Blasio launched “Vision Zero”, a multi-agency effort to eliminate NYC's traffic deaths within a decade. With eleven deaths (seven of them pedestrians) already recorded in the new year, progress can't come soon enough.

January 16, 2014 - Streetsblog

Road Safety (and Lack thereof) Case Studies from around the World

An inordinate amount of traffic fatalities occur in developing parts of the world. In some countries, road deaths have surpassed diseases like AIDS and Tuberculosis as a public health threat.

January 14, 2014 - The Washington Post

Want to Improve Road Safety? Don't Touch That Phone

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine examines which types of distractions lead to the most collisions. Researchers found that dialing while driving is the biggest safety hazard.

January 5, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Self-Driving Cars Will Rule the Road by 2050

A new study by IHS Automotive predicts that 54 million self-driving cars will be on the road by 2035, and that every car will be autonomous by 2050.

January 3, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Seven Items Top U.S. DOT's To-Do List for 2014

A new report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's lead watchdog outlines the top challenges the department faces in the coming year. Expanding oversight and improving air, rail and road safety top the list.

December 19, 2013 - Governing

Tougher Driving Laws Prevent Deaths, So Why Don't States Adopt Them?

A new study that compares how each of the 50 states regulates dangerous motorist behaviors has found that those with the toughest laws have the least traffic deaths. So why don't more states adopt “evidence-based policies”?

December 11, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Will Backlash Block Technologies Meant to Increase Road Safety?

Self-driving cars may still be several years away, but federal officials are already looking to restrict the ability of drivers to operate their cars to improve road safety. They're pushing for the adoption of new technologies to reduce human error.

December 3, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Six Innovative Efforts to Improve Road Safety

In honor of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, held yesterday, The Guardian highlighted innovative projects that are making the world's roads safer.

November 18, 2013 - The Guardian

A Film You Need to Watch About Distracted Driving

Forget all the statistics you've read about the rise in distracted driving, they'll never have the potency of this film by acclaimed director Werner Herzog on the impact of texting while driving on victims, their families, and the drivers themselves.

August 15, 2013 - Fast Company Co.Create

Michael Bloomberg: Global Transportation Dynamo

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's progressive transportation advocacy isn't limited to the five boroughs. From bike lanes in Turkey to auto-rickshaws in India, his philanthropy is funding transportation and road safety projects worldwide.

July 15, 2013 - The New York Times

Friday Reality Check: An Honest Car Commercial

Leave it up to the fine folks at Copenhagenize, the cycling crusaders, to produce a fake commercial based on the real dangers of car driving, rather than the fantasy sold by car companies in their advertisements.

July 12, 2013 - Copenhagenize

Global Roads Safer, But U.S. Performs Poorly

A study from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development shows that traffic fatalities across the world have reached an all-time low. However roads in the U.S. are less safe than in 28 other countries, including Serbia and Greece.

May 30, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

What Can be Done About the Global Scourge of Road Deaths?

1.2 million people are killed by road collisions every year, says a new report from the World Health Organization. Across the world, it's the leading cause of death for 15- to 29-year-olds. Nick Mead discusses the report's chilling findings.

March 18, 2013 - The Guardian

How the World Bank Helped Create the World's Deadliest Road

It doesn't traverse a deep gorge or curve around a mountainside, so what makes the N2 in Bangladesh one of the world's deadliest highways? Annie Kelly explains.

December 19, 2012 - The Guardian

Roads Kill Kids

A new report by Kevin Watkins tries to make visible the horrifying threat to children's health that road traffic presents. It is the leading cause of death globally for young people between the ages of 10 and 24, reports Sarah Goodyear.

May 6, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

Is London Next in Line to Embrace the Bike?

Kaya Burgess and Rhoda Buchanan report on a ride for cyclists' rights in the English capital, where political support for more inclusive streets is gaining momentum.

May 2, 2012 - The Times

Florida Found Most Dangerous Place for Pedestrians

Four Florida metropolitan areas recently ranked as the most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to a survey by Transportation America.

August 16, 2011 - New York Times

Drunk Driving Crackdown In Beijing

Traffic safety is an emerging issue in China, and officials are treating drunk driving, the cause of more than 50% of traffic fatalities, severely - so much so that a new business is flourishing: chauffeur service.

July 25, 2011 - Bloomberg Businessweek via SF Chronicle

The Difference Between Roads and Streets

Tao Rugkhapan reports on the etiology traffic accidents which are becoming all to common in Bangkok as vehicle speeds increase along with lane tolerances and the number of elevated expressways.

January 15, 2011 - This Big City

Road Safety Bill Aimed at Cars and Bikes

A new road safety bill up for consideration in Washington would increase rules and regulations for motorists and cyclists.

January 5, 2011 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

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