Addressing the current and ongoing national
crisis on U.S. roads, the report's executive summary
offers 10 key conclusions for the next 20 years
WASHINGTON, June 29,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Safety Council
released Wednesday the executive summary of its new research
report, Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20
Years. The full report, funded by Allstate (NYSE: ALL)
and to be released July 26 via a
webinar, explores the evolution of mobility and the implications of
past actions on the future of safe mobility.
The United States is facing a
national crisis. Roadway fatalities are at a 16-year high, with
preliminary NSC data showing more than 46,000 people died on U.S.
roads in 2021. NSC estimates 462 more may die in preventable
crashes over the upcoming Independence Day Weekend alone.
Vulnerable road users, those who are walking, biking or are
otherwise outside a vehicle, are dying at faster rates. Communities
of color and low-income communities also experience higher rates of
fatalities and are over-represented in these data. To reverse these
deadly trends, NSC seeks to leverage research, knowledge and
passion for this topic to find new solutions and turn the tide on
traffic violence.
Recognizing these needs, and with funding from Allstate, NSC
commissioned this new report in 2021 from lead author David Zipper,
a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School with a background
in both technology and local government, and the author of more
than 75 articles about cities, transportation and
technology. This report examines the history of mobility
safety and how it can help identify trends that will define
mobility over the next two decades.
There will be dramatic changes on city streets and sidewalks in
the coming decades. The executive summary of this report offers 10
key conclusions for the next 20 years:
- Motor vehicles will remain the top source of street deaths
- Widespread Advanced Driver Assistance Systems should be
expected – but not autonomous vehicles
- Climate change will fundamentally alter urban
transportation
- Denser neighborhoods will experience faster change in urban
transportation technology
- Parcel delivery is poised for disruption
- Urban vehicles should be regulated by size and speed (rather
than form factor) to encourage safety as well as innovation
- Street rules should not be made to promote or enable a
particular technology
- Cities should be able to manage their streets and
sidewalks
- Revisions to infrastructure and policy will be essential to
enhance safety even in the best case of technological
improvement
- Protection of Vulnerable Road Users will support equity
goals
"Recent history indicates the potential value of such
forward-looking analysis. Over the previous 20 years, waves of new
technologies have disrupted urban transportation, from car share
and ride hail to e-scooters and bike share," said Mark Chung, executive vice president of roadway
practice at NSC. "Public officials, and many advocacy groups, were
caught off guard by this unprecedented rate of technological
change, and they were often unsure how to respond to the safety
concerns that emerged. Preparing in advance for the next generation
of transformative technology and taking time to reflect on our
current environment can save lives."
"Allstate has been committed to making U.S. roadways safer for
years, going all the way back to advocating for seat belt
legislation in the 1960s. As personal transportation evolves, so do
our products, services and advocacy," said Eric Brandt, executive vice president and chief
claims officer at Allstate. "By sponsoring this report, we're once
again imagining the future of mobility and assessing its safety
implications so that we can best advocate for a safer
transportation system."
The executive summary was unveiled at an event at the National
Press Club this morning. Featured speakers included Congresswoman
Eleanor Holmes Norton, Chair of the
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, representatives from NSC,
David Zipper, author of the report, and partners including Director
Kristina Swallow of the Nevada
Department of Transportation and Michael
Kelley of BikeWalkKC. View a recording of the event
here.
As we prepare for what the future of technology might bring, we
must address mobility's surge in roadway deaths. Congress took a
crucial step toward reducing roadway deaths with the passage of the
bipartisan infrastructure law, which boosted safety-oriented,
community-focused spending through novel initiatives like Safe
Streets and Roads for All. The Department of Transportation has
also made critical progress, including issuing the groundbreaking
National Roadway Safety Strategy, which for the first time
committed the federal government to a goal of zero roadway deaths.
The National Safety Council executive summary creates a fuller
picture of safe mobility to augment these policies, and calls on
Congress and DOT to do more to realize the report
recommendations.
The report, Mobility, Technology and Safety: The Next 20
Years, is intended to supplement and add momentum to
these ongoing federal efforts, providing much needed solutions for
communities grappling with real safety problems.
Read the executive summary and learn more about NSC efforts to
reduce traffic fatalities at nsc.org/futuremobility.
About the National Safety
Council
The National Safety Council is America's leading nonprofit
safety advocate–and has been for more than 100 years. As a
mission-based organization, we work to eliminate the leading causes
of preventable death and injury, focusing our efforts on the
workplace, roadway and impairment. We create a culture of safety to
not only keep people safer at work, but also beyond the workplace
so they can live their fullest lives.
About Allstate
The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL) protects people from life's
uncertainties with a wide array of protection for cars, homes,
electronic devices and identity theft. Affordable products are
available through a broad distribution network including Allstate
agents, independent agents, major retailers, online and at the
workplace. Allstate is widely known for the slogan "You're in Good
Hands with Allstate." For more information, visit
www.allstate.com.
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SOURCE National Safety Council