By Alex Perdikis
The year 2015 was a landmark year, but not in a good way.
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), approximately 38,300 people were killed in on U.S. roads in 2015. Another 4.4 million were injured. That’s the largest one-year percentage increase in 50 years.
The reasons for the upsurge in traffic deaths include a better economy, lowered gas prices and lowered unemployment – all increasing the numbers of people on the roadways. Let’s look at what’s being done to stem the rising tide of deaths and injuries.
Improving Roads and Highways
In the 1990s, Sweden came up with a concept that proved to be a lifesaver: Roads with two wide lanes were redesigned and revamped into roads with three narrow lanes. The middle lane became a dedicated passing lane with allowed passing alternating between each side. Dedicated passing lanes made it easier for drivers to both pass and be aware of what other drivers were doing. In the first 10 years, an estimated 145 lives were saved.
The U.S. Transportation Research Board took note and recommended redesigning highways to the 2+1 road model, particularly on two-lane rural highways. An added plus is that the highways are already built. Increasing safety is simply a matter of reducing lane widths and adding a dedicated passing only lane. Lives saved!
Crosswalks and Intersections
When a pedestrian and car collide, the pedestrian always loses. Pedestrians usually have the right of way but does that matter when a two-ton machine hits a human body? Not really. Fortunately for pedestrians and drivers, crosswalk and intersection redesigns are becoming more common to make driving and walking safer.
Particularly useful in large cities, diagonal crosswalks are being developed to reduce pedestrian risk. In a diagonal crosswalk, traffic on all sides stops. Pedestrians walk from any direction, including diagonally, and safely arrive on the other side.
Another simple way to increase pedestrian safety is lengthening traffic light “walk” time. Additional time to cross the street gives elderly and disabled pedestrians the time they need. Longer waits may leave some drivers irritated, but isn’t saving lives worth a few extra seconds?
Slowing It Down
You don’t want to hear it, but lowering your driving speed is safer. Lowered speeds, particularly where pedestrians and traffic are both present, result in fewer injuries and fatalities. It may take a couple of extra minutes to get to work in the morning, but at least you’ll get there.
Automakers are working hard to build safer vehicles. Many new cars have collision alarms, alert monitoring and backup cameras to name just a few innovative safety options. Many of these optional features will become standard in the near future, much as seatbelts and airbags did in the past.
The pursuit of safety doesn’t stop there, of course. Novel ideas such as Terreform’s “Soft Car” and Google’s self-driving vehicles incorporate safety, economy and energy efficiency. Clearly, technology is taking us toward a future where safety truly does come first.