Skip to content
News
Car Culture Kills. Motornormativity Explains Why. The words we use normalize harm and marginalizes non-drivers. And it starts with the words we use.
From “car accidents” to “traffic violence,” language shapes perception — and policy. When it comes to the words we use, let’s put the power with the people.
As Marco te Brömmelstroet states, media coverage often dehumanizes crashes, implying they are “glitches” in traffic flow rather than human tragedies. The burden of safety is shifted onto vulnerable road users, often elderly, disabled, and visibly racialized, casting them as interlopers in a system built for cars.
To build inclusive cities, we must reframe how we discuss mobility. “Design failure” is much more useful than “traffic violence.” Our language needs to shift from individual blame to systemic responsibility. It invites us to see streets not as battlegrounds, but as shared spaces — where safety, dignity, and belonging are possible for everyone.
