In america, pedestrian deaths proceed to extend, with 1000’s of individuals falling sufferer to harmful and distracted motorists annually. For wheelchair customers, vigilance is vital when using streets and sidewalks, because the person’s low profile might be harder for drivers to watch.

A minimum of as soon as every week, I discover myself having a detailed name with a motorized vehicle — hurried drivers fail to proceed with warning and don’t respect pedestrians’ right-of-way. The tales of automobiles placing pedestrians, lots of them wheelchair customers, are countless. Check out these latest tales:

In keeping with information launched by the Governors Freeway Security Affiliation (GHSA), U.S. pedestrian fatalities have elevated 19% inside the previous three years. GHSA discovered that, from 2010 to 2021, pedestrian deaths elevated by 77%, sooner than the 25% enhance of all different site visitors fatalities. This pattern line is deeply regarding, and is an indication that pressing motion is required in any respect ranges of presidency.

For wheelchair customers, the next three actions would have an unlimited influence to the security of American roadways.

Ban automobiles from turning proper on purple, and pursue “unique phasing” for pedestrians

In 1975, within the midst of a worldwide oil and vitality disaster, Congress handed the federal Power Coverage and Conservation Act (EPCA), which required states to elevate restrictions on proper activates purple. It was estimated that drivers would save 1–5 seconds when turning at indicators, which proved true, however the change in legislation resulted in a dramatic enhance in accidents involving pedestrians.

Many drivers, earlier than even stopping at a purple gentle, flip their heads to the left looking for house between oncoming automobiles. Every single day, pedestrians are significantly injured or killed when drivers flip proper with out checking for pedestrians within the crosswalk.

Within the Metropolis of Boston, the place I dwell, many intersections have “unique phasing” for pedestrians, durations the place all automobiles are stopped and pedestrians can cross in any course or diagonally. Throughout the daytime hours, these unique phasing durations are mechanically included inside the site visitors management cycle, which means that pedestrians should not required to press the crosswalk button except they require an audio sign.

A 2015 memorandum revealed by the Boston Area Metropolitan Planning Group (MPO) states that “unique phasing is most frequently thought-about for intersections in downtown areas or central enterprise districts with excessive pedestrian volumes” and that, barring a driver’s failure to watch the purple gentle, such a configuration “eliminates pedestrian-vehicle conflicts through the pedestrian section.” This after all necessitates banning proper activates purple.

Whereas the Metropolis of Boston has proposed a sequence of criterial for when and the place unique phasing needs to be utilized, it’s my perception that it needs to be used at each intersection that joins two perpendicular streets. As we transition to electrical automobiles and scale back reliance on personal automobile possession, cities should undertake pedestrian-first insurance policies, significantly these like Boston with a strong public transportation system.

Remove the crosswalk button… or make them accessible

A number of of my mates have disabilities that stop them from lifting their arms, making it unattainable for them to press crosswalk buttons. At intersections with out pedestrian indicators which can be engaged by default, they require the help of others to activate the crosswalk indicator. One mustn’t need to press a button to cross the road!

Even for individuals who can press a button, resembling myself, lots of these buttons show inaccessible. I regularly discover crosswalk buttons put in on posts set other than the sidewalk, generally toes away and separated by delicate sand or grass. If crosswalk buttons are to stay, flat pavement should prolong to and round them, in order to permit wheelchair customers and different folks with disabilities maximal entry.

Further options can even enhance the security of crosswalks for all pedestrians, such because the lighted truncated domes in Melbourne, Australia. Visibility is vital for the security of wheelchair customers and all who use sidewalks.

Set up sidewalks on each public roadway

One of many first articles that I wrote on this web site, entitled Wheelchairs Belong On Sidewalks, Not Streets, mirrored on the lack of incapacity rights advocate and wheelchair person Frank Barham, who was killed on a Georgia roadway. His loss of life was a preventable one, if solely the road had a sidewalk!

I not too long ago traveled to Cary, North Carolina to observe my alma mater compete within the NCAA Ladies’s School World Cup. Town has no wheelchair taxis, few metropolis bus routes, and numerous streets with out sidewalks.

So as to journey between my resort and the WakeMed Soccer Park, I needed to drive my wheelchair round blind corners within the face of oncoming site visitors, cross harmful railroad tracks, and “jaywalk” throughout a poorly lit two-lane highway with a excessive pace restrict — I used to be terrified. Driving a wheelchair on the street is a loss of life want, however I thankfully left North Carolina alive.

My energy wheelchair comes outfitted with headlights and tail lights, an vital security function that every one new wheelchairs needs to be outfitted with — not as an costly add-on, however as a necessity absolutely coated by medical health insurance. Within the absence of enough sidewalk infrastructure, highly effective headlights (like these demonstrated within the picture above) might be the distinction between life and loss of life.

Till the mandatory investments are made to put in sidewalks on each avenue in America, pace limits on roads with out sidewalks or separated bike paths needs to be restricted considerably — maybe to as little as 10 to fifteen miles per hour, simply as they’re at school zones.

Closing Ideas

America has lengthy given automobiles precedence over pedestrians, with considerably extra funding in streets and highways than in sidewalks, bike paths, and public transportation. As reliance on personal automobiles and taxis has elevated, the pedestrian loss of life toll has skyrocketed. The truth that wheelchair customers proceed to be killed in collisions with motor automobiles factors to the critically unsafe situations that require pressing remediation from native, state and federal governments.

What would you do to make streets and sidewalks safer for your self and different pedestrians with disabilities? Be part of the dialogue within the feedback beneath.