In a sobering episode of "The Daily," speakers Sabrina Tavernise and Emily Badger delve into the disturbing increase in pedestrian fatalities across the United States. They explore how the advent of smartphones has contributed significantly to driver distraction, particularly at night—a factor that correlates with the 85% rise in deaths during those hours since 2009. With pedestrians navigating more dangerous terrain due to societal shifts, such as the growth of Sunbelt cities and changes in demographics, the podcast presents an alarming look at how modern technology and urban development have inadvertently jeopardized pedestrian safety.
The conversation also turns a critical eye on the transportation infrastructure of America, highlighting the systemic issues that put vehicle speed above pedestrian well-being. From the perilous arterial roads in suburbia to a general cultural indifference to pedestrian zones, Tavernise and Badger offer an in-depth analysis of the elements that have led to an uptick in incidents during the pandemic as roads became less congested but more hazardous. They argue that a radical shift in both mindset and structural design is urgently required to halt the troubling trend of pedestrian casualties, proposing comprehensive solutions to transform the nation's approach to traffic safety and urban planning.
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Pedestrian deaths in the United States have seen a worrying increase since 2009, a trend that is particularly pronounced during nighttime hours. Approximately 85% of this rise is associated with incidents occurring at night, and one of the suspected contributing factors to this increase is driver distraction, notably from the widespread use of smartphones that became prevalent around 2007. The use of smartphones by drivers is especially prominent in the evening, a time commonly utilized for social and work-related communications. Additionally, the prevalence of automatic transmission vehicles in America is believed to enable easier smartphone distraction while driving when compared to manual vehicles, which are more common in Europe. This issue is compounded by demographic trends such as the migration of Americans to Sunbelt cities, where pedestrian infrastructure may not be as developed, increasing their vulnerability to traffic incidents. Factors like homelessness and the suburbanization of poverty also emerge as relevant concerns, as they expose those affected to dangerous roads and increase their risk as pedestrians.
Transportation infrastructure in the United States is heavily focused on facilitating vehicle speed and tends to neglect pedestrian safety. This bias is evident in the design of Sunbelt cities, which were built with car travel predominance in mind, resulting in inadequate pedestrian infrastructure. Particularly dangerous are the arterial roads, common in areas like Portland and suburban locations, which are tailored for high-speed traffic and often lack sufficient amenities for pedestrian safety, such as well-designed crosswalks and frequent stoplights. As cities become more expensive, individuals moving to the suburbs are facing higher risks due to this lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure. The overall transportation system in the U.S. has proven detrimental to pedestrians, with the pandemic highlighting the issue through an increase in fast and reckless driving on less congested streets, leading to fatal consequences for pedestrians. To curb the trend of rising pedestrian fatalities, the United States must undergo a cultural and structural transformation that includes a rehaul of road design philosophy. Safer road designs, stricter enforcement against dangerous driving, and a shift in the cultural understanding of road use are critical to prioritizing pedestrian safety over the convenience of vehicle speed.
1-Page Summary
There has been a distressing trend in the United States marked by a significant rise in pedestrian death since 2009, which stands in stark contrast to the situation in other industrialized countries.
Badger and Tavernise connect the surge in pedestrian fatalities with the proliferation of smartphones beginning around 2007. Federal data analysis indicates that roughly 85% of the increase in pedestrian fatalities since 2009 occurs at night. Emily Badger emphasizes that the precise reasons behind the nighttime increase in pedestrian deaths remain uncertain, but the sensorium of distractions introduced by smartphones and complex in-vehicle technology systems, akin to having a large smartphone built into the car, might play a role.
American drivers are reportedly more engaged with their phones while driving, especially in the evening. This behavior could be attributed to the cultural norm in the U.S. of using this time for coordinating social events or catching up with work-related communication.
One particular feature of the American driving landscape that facilitates smartphone distraction is the dominance of automatic transmission vehicles. These vehicles can be operated with one hand, leaving the other free to interact with a smartphone, unlike in Europe, where manual transmission requires two hands, thus making the distraction of a smartphone more challenging to entertain.
Although not explicitly mentioned in the provided content, the noted issues around pedestrian safety, such as distraction by smartphones, can be exacerbated by the movement of Americans to Sunbelt cities, where pedestrian infrastructure may be less developed, and people are thus more exposed to traffic.
The sharp rise in pedestrian deaths in the U.S. since 2009
The current transportation infrastructure in the United States demonstrates a significant bias toward vehicle speed at the expense of pedestrian safety, raising concerns and calling for a cultural and structural shift towards better protection for those on foot.
Sunbelt regions epitomize this problem; they were developed with the ubiquity of cars in mind. These regions lack strong transit networks but have extensive road systems that are designed for high-speed travel. As a result, pedestrian safety is often compromised.
Arterial roads in places like Portland and various suburban areas are known to be particularly perilous for pedestrians. These roads, designed for high-speed vehicle traffic, frequently have inadequate pedestrian infrastructure and very occasional stoplights, making it dangerous for individuals attempting to cross.
As people are priced out of expensive neighborhoods and move to areas with less developed pedestrian infrastructures, they face increased risks. Research indicates that even though pedestrian fatalities are on the decline in downtown areas, they are on the rise in suburban areas where the infrastructure favors vehicle speed over pedestrian safety.
Badger explains that the U.S. transportation system is fundamentally perilous and designed for speed rather than pedestrian protection. During the pandemic, the reduction in traffic gave drivers a false sense of security, leading to fast and reckless driving with deadl ...
The transportation infrastructure and systems in the U.S. prioritize vehicle speed over pedestrian safety
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