The Federal Government Should Stop Victim-Shaming Walkers

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)—part of the United States Department of Transportation—is the federal agency charged with overseeing safety on the nation’s roadways. Their mission is to “Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes.”

They should not be confused with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the group that actually shows up at the scene of crashes, investigates the underlying causes, and then directs actions to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce crashes, albeit primarily for air travel (not vehicles, except for “major incidents”).

If the NHTSA showed up at crashes, they would need to be one of the largest and most intense federal agencies in the United States since every day dozens of people are killed—what I think they and their families would call a “major incident”—and hundreds seriously injured on our nation’s roadways. Every. Single. Day.

Instead, the NHTSA has worked to fulfill its mission, in the age of social media, with friendly messages such as this one:

When you are walking, remember to stay alert! Don’t get distracted by electronic devices that take your eyes and ears off the road! Remember, safety is a shared responsibility. pic.twitter.com/7P6zGma4fr

— NHTSA (@NHTSAgov) January 7, 2020

What makes this kind of thinking so pernicious is the notion that safety is a “shared responsibility,” that someone walking a sidewalk or even crossing a street has even a fraction of the responsibility for safety that someone driving a multi-ton motor vehicle has.

I said in a podcast, after preparing testimony for a court case that was settled before I took the stand, that Our Streets Should Be Safe for Everyone – Yes, Even Those Who Are Under The Influence. As Rachel Quednau wrote for us in 2018:

"We have to reject the notion that people in the throes of [alcohol or drug addiction] would deserve to die," says Chuck. "We can't throw these people away." 

The 8 80 movement, which advocates for streets that are safe for people from age 8 to age 80, has plenty of room for someone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and whose judgement may be impaired. We should be designing our streets for children and seniors and, yes, people who are drunk. 

I agreed to be an expert witness in that case to support the notion that everyone—with no exceptions—should be safe when they’re walking, especially in places where they are expected to be walking.

Fortunately, a good number of people are pushing back on the NHTSA’s shifting of responsibility.

Remember, @NHTSAgov, you're doing absolutely nothing to solve car violence—at all—by blaming the victims we keep losing. If you truly think it helps, you must be sleep walking through your job. You're leaving the real problems unattended & IT IS SICKENINGhttps://t.co/ValjWAEdGm

— Ms. Fast (@_The_Clearing) January 7, 2020

If by "shared responsibility," you mean drivers have 99% of the responsibility, then yes, I agree. After all, they are the ones driving two-ton metal machines that can crush human bodies in an instant.

— anti-car crusader 🥑🚲🚉🔰 (@cinemachagrin) January 7, 2020

This is a bad take for the average American. This is a really bad take for a government agency.

— Brad '🐙🌐' Hemak 河巴黎 (@hemakhemak) January 7, 2020

This message is irresponsible and unsafe and you should be professionally and personally ashamed for promoting victim-blaming.

— BeyondDC (@beyonddc) January 8, 2020

A Strong Town is safe for people who are walking, biking, scootering, using a wheelchair, or getting around under their own power as humans have been getting around for thousands of years. If they want to save lives, prevent injuries, and reduce vehicle-related crashes, the NTSHA should focus on slowing the cars in places where humans outside of a vehicle are present.

Top image via Michael Jin.

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