Tag: Shattering

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From the Publisher

A selection from Wes Marshall’s Killed by a Traffic Engineer

From Chapter 13: Good Cop, Bad Cop

“A common refrain we hear today is that drunk walking is just as dangerous as driving, if not more. But we never ask for whom.

In other words, who is drunk walking dangerous for? Answer: the drunk walker.

Who is the drunk driver dangerous for? Answer: everybody.

There is a massive ethical difference between the two. But traffic engineers don’t differentiate.”

From Chapter 19: The Cost of Doing Business

“In March 2020, Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin was trying to put the initial…pandemic deaths in perspective: ‘We don’t shut down our economy because tens of thousands of people die on the highways. It’s a risk we accept so we can move about.’

Despite the deaths and outrageous dollars we can attribute to them, that’s how we think about people dying our streets: they are the cost of doing business. In other words, we accept these deaths as an inevitable by-product of mobility and our modern lifestyle.

We treat plane or train crashes very differently from car crashes. It’s like the difference between a leaky faucet and a broken pipe. With a leaky faucet, we get used to a few drips here and there. With a broken pipe, we turn off the water completely until we figure out what is wrong and fix it.

Either way, we waste a lot of water…and a lot of lives.”

From Chapter 29: The Human Error False Flag

“When something bad happens, we want a clear and simple explanation of what went wrong to help us understand why. The inclination to blame human error is pervasive—across nearly all disciplines—because it simplifies things. It helps us feel better about the world we live in. The world is still safe as long as everyone follows the rules. People make mistakes from time to time, but don’t worry, the system is sound.

Despite the title of this book, the point isn’t to shift blame to traffic engineers. The problem is that we’ve worked under the assumption that what traffic engineers do borders on irreproachable. That assumption limits our ability to get better, but it’s easier this way.”

From Chapter 36: I Wish I knew

“Whenever we say what the road user should or shouldn’t’ve done, we are using a counterfactual. That situation never actually happened. It’s like an alternate timeline. But when it comes to road safety, traffic engineers focus on that parallel universe. The same goes for the media when they talk about road crashes. It’s logical to think counterfactuals will help us better understand human error. They won’t.”

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Island Press (June 4, 2024)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 344 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1642833304
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1642833300
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.18 x 9 inches

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the flaws and dangers of our current transportation system. From inadequate infrastructure to lack of safety measures, it’s clear that our roads and highways are not as safe as they should be. But what if I told you that the very people responsible for designing and implementing these systems are also to blame for the high number of traffic fatalities and injuries?

Traffic engineers, the professionals tasked with designing and managing our roads and transportation systems, are often seen as the experts who ensure our roads are safe and efficient. However, a closer look at their practices and decisions reveals a disturbing truth: their focus on maximizing traffic flow and reducing congestion often comes at the expense of pedestrian and cyclist safety.

By prioritizing vehicle speed and volume over the safety of vulnerable road users, traffic engineers create environments that are inherently dangerous for those not protected by a metal shell. This has led to an alarming increase in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, as well as a lack of safe infrastructure for these modes of transportation.

The reliance on outdated and flawed models, such as Level of Service, which prioritize vehicle movement over all other considerations, has only exacerbated these issues. The result is a transportation system that is not only inefficient and environmentally harmful but also deadly for those who rely on walking, biking, or public transportation.

It’s time to shatter the delusion that science underlies our transportation system and acknowledge the role that traffic engineers play in perpetuating a dangerous status quo. We must demand a shift towards a more balanced and equitable approach to transportation planning, one that prioritizes safety, accessibility, and sustainability for all road users.

It’s time to hold traffic engineers accountable for the lives lost and injuries sustained on our roads due to their negligence and shortsightedness. It’s time to create a transportation system that truly prioritizes the well-being of all people, not just those behind the wheel. Killed by a Traffic Engineer is not just a catchy headline – it’s a stark reality that we must confront and change for the sake of our communities and future generations.
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