The Complicated Danger Of Walking And Driving In America
Infrastructure reform undoubtedly needs to happen, but until it does, only we can protect ourselves and each other
I recently listened to an episode of The Daily that asked Why Are So Many More Pedestrians Dying in the U.S.? This was a podcast about the rising number of pedestrian traffic deaths, especially at night. The podcast interviews New York Times writer, Emily Badger, who talks about how 3,000 more pedestrians died in 2021 compared to 2009, and the causes are largely a mystery. This is a uniquely American problem, as this rise is not seen in other countries. In fact, pedestrian deaths are falling in many other countries.
Badger points to a plethora of reasons. The most obvious one is the proliferation of smartphones. Drivers and pedestrians have been more distracted by their phones since the iPhone was introduced in 2007 and became ubiquitous shortly thereafter. There has also been a growth in technology inside vehicles that are essentially like smartphones themselves, with screens allowing drivers not only to use navigation apps, but tinker with changing music and podcasts.
However, other countries have these vehicles and smartphones too. So why is this still a uniquely American problem? One reason is that…