EDMONTON: DATA DISPELS RATIONALE FOR BLAMING PED VICTIMS

-> Streetsblog USA reports an Edmonton, Alberta walking and cycling commuter used the city’s own motor vehicle collision data to make a chart showing who — or, more often, what — is on the receiving end when Edmonton motorists crash their cars. Of the more than 27,000 crashes recorded in Edmonton, Alberta last year, 91% involved another motor vehicle. Of the 478 collisions in which a driver struck a cyclist or pedestrian, just 51 involved people crossing without the right of way. And of the city’s 10 pedestrian fatalities last year, just one was crossing without the right of way. Despite these facts, the city and province have focused heavily on blaming jaywalkers for traffic fatalities. Shifting responsibility to the people most vulnerable to traffic and away from the people piloting multi-ton, high-speed vehicles, in the process absolving governments that design dangerous roads doesn’t sit well with many Edmonton residents concerned about traffic safety. http://bit.ly/2rpeA78

from CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.