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U.S. pedestrian deaths reach a 40-year high (text.npr.org)

submitted 1 year ago by dingus@lemmy.ml to c/news@beehaw.org

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[–] dingus@lemmy.ml 15 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (15 children)

I understand the reason people say this, but... This country runs on making individuals take care of themselves. A lot of people who reach that age literally have nobody else. We don't have a sufficient public transit system to accommodate the people who really shouldn't be driving.

So I'm not really sure about this one. In a way, it's just punishing lonely old people with no extra money and no one to do errands for them, and leaving them to possibly die from being unable to take care of themselves.

I'm not saying the way things are is okay. We really need more support for the elderly in this regard (especially in regards to public transit), because this is why a huge number of them continue driving beyond when they should be: because they literally have to because they have no one else they can rely on but themselves.

Also, it helps to read the article which references many reasons this is happening, and none of them are the elderly.

From the Fucking Article:

Pedestrian deaths have been climbing since 2010 because of unsafe infrastructure and the prevalence of SUVs, which tend to be more deadly for pedestrians than smaller cars, according to Martin. When the pandemic arrived, there was an even greater surge as empty roads gave way to speeding and distracted driving.

The pandemic has waned, but cases of reckless driving — and subsequently the number of Americans killed while walking — has not. The new data, released on Friday, shows the U.S. continues to lag in its effort to improve road safety, even as experts say some solutions are within reach.

Nary a word about elderly drivers making an impact. I'd suspect the NHTSA probably has more data about this than either of us do, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and say it's "not the fucking elderly."

[–] sarsaparilyptus@lemmy.fmhy.ml 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (14 children)

I actually did read the "fucking article", and others besides. Also, if you're going to be condescending to people on Lemmy, at least stop talking like you're narrating the next 2am chili. It is the judgment of this court (me) that you have posted cringe.

Anyway:

https://siegfriedandjensen.com/passing-the-test/
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813266
https://www.iihs.org/topics/older-drivers/license-renewal-laws-table

Example 1, New Mexico:

While New Mexico allows you to renew your license every 4 or 8 years as a personal option, drivers 71–79 have to renew every 4 years
Drivers 75 and older must prove adequate vision every renewal and must renew in person
Drivers over 79 must renew every single year
NM is rated as the 10th most difficult state to get a license
New Mexico was one of only four states to post a decrease in road fatalities from 2019 to 2020

Example 2, Ohio:

While Ohio allows you to renew your license every 4 or 8 years as a personal option, drivers over 65 have to renew every 4 years
Drivers over 65 and older must prove adequate vision every renewal and must renew in person
There are no additional restrictions past 65
Ohio is rated as the 2nd-easiest state to get a license, eclipsed only by SD
Ohio posted a 6.7% increase in road fatalities from 2019 to 2020

Conclusion? Being too old to drive has even more of an impact on road unsafety than giving out drivers' licenses in cereal boxes does.

I feel sorry for old people who have no other way to get around, I really do. Letting blind people with dementia unsafely operate motor vehicles so they can run people over while trying to get to grocery stores and medical appointments isn't a solution, nor is it an acceptable stopgap till public transportation can pick up the slack. It's gotta stop right now.

[–] fckgwrhqq2yxrkt@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You are making a lot if assumptions there, and a lot of factors go into those numbers outside if age and easy of getting a license. Not saying you are wrong, and it certainly is something we should be addressing, but this doesn't prove your point.

[–] sarsaparilyptus@lemmy.fmhy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

It probably isn't good enough for an official NTSB report, but it is good enough for a reasonable person—i.e. someone who isn't trying to emotionally argue backwards from their pet conclusion—to draw a conclusion from it as long as their scope is conservative.

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