Americans have traded sedans for crossovers and SUVs for full-size pickups with total abandon over the past decade. One common notion—though auto-safety experts will say it’s not that simple—is that it’s safer to get around in what’s basically a tank.
But those benefits are only for people inside the vehicle. People outside—pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users—are in more peril. Passenger and driver deaths have remained mostly stable over the past decade while pedestrian fatalities have risen by about 50 percent.
Over the long term, we have to shift our focus from blaming individuals when they are struck by cars – “Did you look both ways?” – to addressing the systemic factors that put them at risk. The government can no longer allow the auto industry to treat walkers and bikers like collateral damage.
Read the article at Route Fifty.
