The nation is grappling with a pedestrian safety crisis that has worsened in recent years: The number of pedestrians killed in the U.S. hit a 28-year high of 6,283 in 2018, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That figure was up 46% from 2010.
While the crisis stems from many factors, a new book brings it into sharper focus. Former Streetsblog USA writer Angie Schmitt’s “Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America” is an exposé drawing upon comprehensive reporting to articulate the root causes of a public health crisis.
“If we analyze these patterns, they tell us very clearly that pedestrian deaths are not just random acts of God or bad luck, nor are they the result of individual decision-making or laziness (although both bad luck and bad decisions often play a role),” Schmitt writes.
Read the article at USA TODAY