Reply #18: I can suggest a few things that would help... [View All]

...improve pedestrian safety:

1. Improve windshield glass to upgrade non-glare capabilities, something along the lines of the glasses that polarize into sunglasses in high light exposure. Especially in the winter, when the sun is low on the horizon, the glare during the highest traffic times can be deadly. I darn near ran someone down myself a few days ago, scared the bejeebus out of me, and I was driving slowly and defensively. But the glare was so awful I literally could not see the person who stepped into the street!

2. Improve bumper designs to "shed" in ways that don't throw hit objects (and or people) into traffic and/or under the wheels.

3. Equip all vehicles with "always on" headlights, just as many rental cars are now equipped. That would improve vehicle visibility during fog, light rain, and dusk/dawn situations, when many drivers forget to turn on their headlights. Also, require additional "strip" reflectors on sides, corners, and front of vehicles at angles where street lights and other light sources can catch them. The preponderance of shades of silver, light neutrals, grays, etc., among new car sales for the last ten years or so has had a very bad effect on visibility--anything that can improve it will improve safety.

4. Increase the amount of outerwear, shoes, handbags, backpacks, totes and other items with reflective fabric/strips/etc. on the market and mount aggressive "safety first" campaigns to sell them, especially in childrens' wear and accessories.

5. Re-engineer street designs to increase the number of highly visible, well-marked, well-lit pedestrian crossings and discourage crossing elsewhere. Also, mandate the installation of wide, well-lit sidewalks everywhere! The last place I lived, the ONLY way you could walk to the store was by either walking in the road shoulder of a busy highway, or picking your way through driveways, gravel strips, medians, etc.

6. Which brings up another issue, that is re-engineering access to commercial areas to encourage (encourage, heck, ALLOW!) safe pedestrian and bicycle access. Too many strip malls, etc., are designed ONLY for auto access.

7. Require reflective paint or embedded markings on corners, driveways, intersections, openings, etc. to clearly define the corner curbs, openings, etc. to drivers in low-light situations.

That's just a starter. I'm sure that a little engineering skull sweat can come up with lots of additional ways to reduce pedestrian fatalities. It ain't rocket science, it's just THINKING, for Petesqueaks.

exasperatedly,
Bright