It’s interesting that the absolute best places to keep up with news about death/injury to those trying to walk our roads are law firm websites.  These online “news stories” include Google Map views and everything.

Of course, primary motivation for these firms’ “news gathering” isn’t fixing the problem, it’s drumming up business from those killed/injured by the problem. Meanwhile, collecting info on any walking statistics, e.g., how many are walking, how many are being struck trying to walk, is a persistent dilemma.

For instance, governments put plenty of cameras all around major and not-so-major intersections, but the video information provided only goes to making it easier/faster for drivers to zoom through these intersections. And for legal purposes in instances where somebody kills/injures themselves/others zooming through. No data is collected from these cameras regarding how many walkers, or cyclists, cross. None.

Interesting.

With overall traffic deaths falling slightly while walking/cycling deaths dramatically climb, perhaps video/data focus might shift to those being killed/injured at the highest rates. That would make sense, if emphasis wasn’t all about making it easier/faster for drivers to zoom.

Changing that emphasis doesn’t look to be on any governmental horizon anytime soon. If the spike in rate of deaths/injuries were happening to a more powerful, numerous group of folks, e.g., drivers, the video data collected and universally broadcast would make it unnecessary for law firms to be de facto news source for such incidents.

We’d never hear/see/read the news/governmental end of it if:

But pedestrian deaths rose 3.4%, and the number of people killed on bicycles and other pedaled vehicles went up 6.3%.

were changed to “drivers” and “SUV owners.” Instead, the headline in the widely copied/pasted AP story is:

US highway deaths fall in 2018 for second straight year

Interesting.