Y'know how I like nuance and am skeptical of simple narratives?
Well, I have a bugbear regarding the discussion on pedestrian fatalities in the US.
To start this thread, I'd like to think I have an unbiased perspective here. I don't drive a very large vehicle, I loathe the arms race in vehicle size, and I welcome all efforts to reduce car-dependence and make our streets safer for all.
But... every discussion I listen to on this topic is real handwavey on the impacts of distracted driving.
The sudden reversal in reduction in pedestrian deaths coincides not only with increase in vehicle size, but the prevalence of the smartphone.
Anybody who drives and gives the remotest shit about being a safe driver will have noticed how many other folks are holding their phones and looking at them while driving 40+ miles per hour, and I really feel like this can't be dismissed as a factor. But seemingly nobody talks about this as meaningful.
I'd like to see someone suss out the data on the number of pedestrian collisions that are occurring over time, but I can't find it easily.
Deaths are obviously going up, and I'm not arguing that a larger car isn't more dangerous to pedestrians and other road users (they most certainly are).
But... I'm almost certain pedestrian impacts have gone up, making you more likely to be hit in the first place. That's important and that matters to the discussion.
That's what I really want to know.
Are people getting *hit* more often? I'm almost certain the answer is yes.
There are plenty of other things we're uniquely bad at, too - road design, licensing requirements, lack of regulations. So by no means am I saying that I feel smartphones are the primary issue here, and I also don't want to make this a personal responsibility thing.
But I'm really weirded out by how this one very much so personal responsibility aspect is just... completely ignored.
@TechConnectify Honest to goodness, my local morning radio show featured a discussion of whether motorists should eat foods with utensils while driving (poke bowls!).
US Americans are really, really into distracted driving, and it's not just phones anymore. Although any fair observer would admit that smartphones led to a breakthrough increase in distraction, we are now facing a 360-degree wraparound culture that produces products and justifications to enable in-car distractions.
