StreetsblogUSA recently reported: “A diverse coalition of powerful transportation safety, public health and consumer advocacy groups co-authored an open letter yesterday urging Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to push for laws aimed at decreasing the pedestrian death toll on America’s roadways, which reached a 30-year high of 6,590 last year.
The coalition wants the US DOT to:
- Require the installation of pedestrian detection systems, automatic emergency braking, and other automated driver assistance technology on all new cars;
- Require the installation of systems that onboard alcohol sensors or other technologies that detect erratic driving behavior from drunk motorists on all new cars;
- Require automakers to redesign hoods and bumpers to make cars more forgiving in crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists, using better crumple zone technology;
- Enhance headlight visibility standards for new cars to help prevent the 76 percent of pedestrians crashes that happen at night;
- And last but not least, finally join the rest of the planet in requiring automakers to test how safe their vehicles are for vulnerable road users in the event of a crash, rather than just the people inside vehicles.“
Read the full article:
