U.S. Traffic Deaths are a Regulatory Failure – 5 Ways to Rewrite the Rules of the Road

Why did traffic fatalities rise on U.S. streets during the pandemic? Blame laws that lock in dangerous street designs and allow vehicles known to be more deadly to non-drivers.

The Green Book has been used for decades by the federal government, all 50 states, and countless municipalities. In general, it requires lanes that are too wide, which encourages cars to drive faster, and practically ignores pedestrians and bikers.

We’ve watched other countries make incredible progress, but we have lacked the leadership to change our laws to prioritize road safety in the U.S. We have a new presidential administration, with a new Transportation Secretary in Pete Buttigieg, who seems poised to help us broaden our concept of what road safety is, and who roads are for. We can completely eliminate road fatalities by 2050 if we overhaul the laws that make more death a near certainty.