Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), today issued the following statement in response to projections from the Governors Highway Safety Association that U.S. pedestrian deaths rose 5% in the first half of 2022 compared to the year before:
Far too often in recent years, we’ve awoken to the same grim headline: U.S. traffic fatalities continue to rise. The latest news—that pedestrian deaths are on track to be higher in 2022, after having reached a 40-year high in 2021—is tragic, but unsurprising.
Our transportation system is failing us. Too many U.S. roads are designed to prioritize moving vehicles quickly instead of keeping people safe, and pedestrian infrastructure is an afterthought. Cars and trucks are getting larger, heavier and more deadly, but regulations haven’t kept up. Speed limits on streets across the country are too high.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We know how to save lives. Lower speed limits. Reform the outdated regulations preventing cities from using proven safe designs. Rethink vehicle safety standards so consumers aren’t misled about the vehicles they purchase. Encourage states to use federal funding to build safe streets, transit lanes, sidewalks, and bike networks instead of road expansions.
We can choose a different future for our country, where walking to work, school or the doctor’s office doesn’t mean putting our lives at risk. It’s on policymakers and practitioners at all levels of government to make that future a reality.
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About the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
NACTO is an association of 94 major North American cities and transit agencies formed to exchange transportation ideas, insights, and practices and cooperatively approach national transportation issues. The organization’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life. To learn more, visit NACTO.org or follow us on Twitter at @NACTO and Instagram at @NACTOcities.
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For Immediate Release
February 28th, 2023