A good article on the difference in road safety trends for pedestrians and cyclists v. automobile occupants, especially in urban areas:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90310016/the-urban-design-problem-thats-killing- pedestrians-and-cyclists
As cities strive to improve the quality of life for their residents, many are working to promote walking and biking. Such policies make sense, since they can, in the long run, lead to less traffic, cleaner air and healthier people. But the results aren't all positive, especially in the short to medium term.
In Washington, D.C., for example, traffic fatalities as a whole declined in 2018 compared to the year before, but the number of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/pedestrians-contin ue-to-be-at-high-risk-on-washington-regions-roads-data-show/2019/02/09/e6a4e 7a8-1f52-11e9-8b59-0a28f2191131_story.html?utm_term=.bf31bf0e0b04 increased by 20%. Pedestrian deaths also have https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/01/nyregion/traffic-deaths-decrease-nyc.htm l risen in New York, and pedestrian and cycling fatalities have https://www.outsideonline.com/2313301/would-you-ride-bike-los-angeles increased in Los Angeles in the past several years.
Across the nation (USA), cyclist fatalities have increased by 25% since 2010 and pedestrian deaths have risen by https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/facts_stats/ a staggering 45%. More people are being killed because cities are encouraging residents to walk and bike, but their roads are still dominated by fast-moving vehicular traffic. .
Charles Feaver
mailto:charles@bikewinnipeg.ca charles@bikewinnipeg.ca