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The article: http://cityobservatory.org/2019/09/ http://cityobservatory.org/2019/09/ Text: We’re killing more people because more people are ignoring traffic

The article: http://cityobservatory.org/2019/09/ http://cityobservatory.org/2019/09/ Text: We’re killing more people because more people are ignoring traffic signals We’ve charted the ominous increase in road deaths in the past several years, and now there’s a new bit of evidence of just how bad the problem has become. In 2017, according to an American Automobile Association analysis of NHTSA data reported by the Los Angeles Times, we hit a new high for the number of people killed by cars running red lights. > In 2017, the latest figures available, 939 people were killed by vehicles blowing through red lights, according to a AAA study of government crash data. . . . AAA isn’t sure why the numbers are on the rise or why they have increased at a far higher rate than overall U.S. roadway deaths. Since 2012 the number of highway fatalities rose 10%, far short of the 28% increase in red-light running deaths. There are likely many causes for the increase in fatalities. Some of it sure has to do with the increase in driving, prompted by cheaper fuel. Red-light running is also likely another indication of the growing problem of distracted driving. Drivers who are texting or distracted by in-cabin technology are more likely to miss a red light. It also has to be mentioned that our efforts to use “smart” technology to improve compliance with traffic laws is woeful. Traffic engineers invest untold millions in efforts to automate traffic lights to provide motorists with a green wave, but spend little effort to promote greater compliance with red lights and speed limits. For example, despite its official policy of trying to achieve Vision Zero, for example, the City of Portland has just eight fixed speed cameras. Several states, including Texas have banned automated red-light cameras. Automated traffic enforcement is a technology that’s been shown to reduce speeding and red-light running and save lives. We’re all enamored of the prospects of technology to make life better, but in one of the few instances in which we have a proven technology that’s been shown to save lives, we’ve limited or actually prohibited its deployment, with predictable results, in the form of an increasing death toll.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
Spooky23 7y ago
Don’t forget pedestrian behaviors that make bad driver behavior more deadly. I started keeping score of pedestrians walking into a poorly placed pole on a corner outside of my office. Since June we are up to 48. We convinced our landlord to put a potted tree in front of it, which helped, but the local SeeClickFix community reported it and had it removed as potted plants are code violations. Watch a busy street sometime. People do funny shit, like walk into traffic without looking or wandering into buildings while using the phone.
- jdavis703 7y ago
  A distracted pedastrian is only a threat to themselves. A distracted driver can easily kill dozens. If anyone is operating a vehicle in an area with blind spots or pedastrian activity they need to be operating at a speed and manner to avoid hitting a person. Further I'd like to note some crosswalks have a compliance rate of 0%. I was in Santa Monica. The sidewalk was closed. To comply with the signage I backtracked to the first available crosswalk to crossover. I waited and waited and no one stopped. I even stepped in the road to indicate my intent to cross. Still no one stopped. A ridiculous disregard for pedastrians is why people are dieing out here.
  - dragonsngoblins 7y ago
    That isn't really true. A distracted pedestrian could cause a driver to swerve, driver hits another car, stationary object, different pedestrian they didn't see, etc.
  - CompanionCuuube 7y ago
    > A distracted pedastrian is only a threat to themselves. No, just like a deer jumping across the road isn't just a danger to themselves.
guitarbill 7y ago
this largely fits with my experience in Seattle. congestion is so bad that police have flat out said they won't enforce traffic rules like "blocking the box" [0]. first, compared to e.g. Austin, the fine is laughably cheap (Seattle $136, Austin ~$500). second, i'm all for police having leeway, but not in such a blanket manner. there's a reason we separate powers, and they don't get to decide the rules. finally, it isn't just blocking the box, it's also things like "no turn on red". so while bad drivers are getting away with more and more, it's gotten quite dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. [0] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/video-pedestrians-dodge-gridlocked-cars-while-crossing-seattles-mercer-street-at-rush-hour/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/vid... > Police aren’t writing $136 tickets for “blocking the box” on Mercer because doing so would penalize the other drivers with more gridlock, by clogging a traffic lane, said spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb
ztjio 7y ago
You're overthinking this. People run red lights because they are impatient and don't get punished for it. There must be a 1 in 1000 chance of actually being caught. Maybe even better odds actually. During commute traffic in my area, without fail people will run the red lights, usually 2-3 cars minimum every single cycle. Traffic code is unenforceable by current methods. That's the place to start. I for one am all in favor of the idea of red light cameras however, they were shown to actually cause more accidents. Go figure.
- 3131s 7y ago
  >You're overthinking this. The parent commenter only reposted the text from the article.
- nickles 7y ago
  > red light cameras however, they were shown to actually cause more accidents Adding to this, the issue was not directly with the cameras themselves but with the length of the yellow light. In order to increase revenue from traffic cameras, municipalities were reducing the amount of time the traffic light was yellow. However, reducing the length of the yellow light also leads to an increase in car crashes. [0] https://www.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/ https://www.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-sho... [1] https://phys.org/news/2012-09-length-yellow-caution-traffic-accidents.html https://phys.org/news/2012-09-length-yellow-caution-traffic-...

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

Spooky23 7y ago

Don’t forget pedestrian behaviors that make bad driver behavior more deadly. I started keeping score of pedestrians walking into a poorly placed pole on a corner outside of my office. Since June we are up to 48. We convinced our landlord to put a potted tree in front of it, which helped, but the local SeeClickFix community reported it and had it removed as potted plants are code violations. Watch a busy street sometime. People do funny shit, like walk into traffic without looking or wandering into buildings while using the phone.

jdavis703 7y ago
A distracted pedastrian is only a threat to themselves. A distracted driver can easily kill dozens. If anyone is operating a vehicle in an area with blind spots or pedastrian activity they need to be operating at a speed and manner to avoid hitting a person. Further I'd like to note some crosswalks have a compliance rate of 0%. I was in Santa Monica. The sidewalk was closed. To comply with the signage I backtracked to the first available crosswalk to crossover. I waited and waited and no one stopped. I even stepped in the road to indicate my intent to cross. Still no one stopped. A ridiculous disregard for pedastrians is why people are dieing out here.
- dragonsngoblins 7y ago
  That isn't really true. A distracted pedestrian could cause a driver to swerve, driver hits another car, stationary object, different pedestrian they didn't see, etc.
- CompanionCuuube 7y ago
  > A distracted pedastrian is only a threat to themselves. No, just like a deer jumping across the road isn't just a danger to themselves.

guitarbill 7y ago

this largely fits with my experience in Seattle. congestion is so bad that police have flat out said they won't enforce traffic rules like "blocking the box" [0]. first, compared to e.g. Austin, the fine is laughably cheap (Seattle $136, Austin ~$500). second, i'm all for police having leeway, but not in such a blanket manner. there's a reason we separate powers, and they don't get to decide the rules. finally, it isn't just blocking the box, it's also things like "no turn on red". so while bad drivers are getting away with more and more, it's gotten quite dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. [0] https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/video-pedestrians-dodge-gridlocked-cars-while-crossing-seattles-mercer-street-at-rush-hour/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/vid... > Police aren’t writing $136 tickets for “blocking the box” on Mercer because doing so would penalize the other drivers with more gridlock, by clogging a traffic lane, said spokesman Sgt. Sean Whitcomb

ztjio 7y ago

You're overthinking this. People run red lights because they are impatient and don't get punished for it. There must be a 1 in 1000 chance of actually being caught. Maybe even better odds actually. During commute traffic in my area, without fail people will run the red lights, usually 2-3 cars minimum every single cycle. Traffic code is unenforceable by current methods. That's the place to start. I for one am all in favor of the idea of red light cameras however, they were shown to actually cause more accidents. Go figure.

3131s 7y ago
>You're overthinking this. The parent commenter only reposted the text from the article.
nickles 7y ago
> red light cameras however, they were shown to actually cause more accidents Adding to this, the issue was not directly with the cameras themselves but with the length of the yellow light. In order to increase revenue from traffic cameras, municipalities were reducing the amount of time the traffic light was yellow. However, reducing the length of the yellow light also leads to an increase in car crashes. [0] https://www.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-shortening-yellow-light-times-for-profit/ https://www.motorists.org/blog/6-cities-that-were-caught-sho... [1] https://phys.org/news/2012-09-length-yellow-caution-traffic-accidents.html https://phys.org/news/2012-09-length-yellow-caution-traffic-...