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Transportation Safety and Vision Zero

TAS said:
I would say these findings may also be a factor:

"Driving skills generally improve with initial experience, plateau over time, and can eventually decline due to complacency."

That said, aren't our youngest drivers most likely to have infractions? I'm not sure.

Complacency and Bad Habits: Experienced drivers often develop and reinforce bad habits through laziness or inattention, such as not coming to a complete stop or using mobile phones.

Overconfidence: More experienced drivers may overestimate their skills, particularly their perceptual-motor skills (e.g., fast reactions), while underestimating the importance of safety skills (e.g., driving carefully). This can lead to increased risk-taking, such as speeding or accepting smaller gaps in traffic.

Reduced Feedback: Unlike new drivers who receive constant feedback from instructors, experienced drivers rarely receive formal feedback, allowing minor errors to become ingrained habits.

Physical and Cognitive Changes: As drivers age, natural physical and cognitive changes, such as reduced reaction time, vision problems, and decreased flexibility (e.g., inability to check blind spots easily), can compromise driving ability.

"In essence, while experienced drivers have better developed hazard detection and response capabilities than novices, they are more susceptible to risky behaviors and the effects of physical aging, which can ultimately lead to a decline in overall safety."

And then there is issue of design of our roads/streets, design of vehicles (size), and traffic laws/rules.
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All valid points, but it essentially comes down to the person driving the 2,000 lbs vehicle. When driving, it is easy to just sit in the driver seat and be observant. However, when I upgraded my vehicle I definitely noticed a bigger blind spot on the pillars. As a result, I literally have to move my head an inch or 2 forward while turning to ensure nothing is in the blind spot. If I do not, a person could very well be in the blind spot while crossing intersection, moving at a rate that keeps the person hidden within the blind spot.
I have seen numerous times when driving, and as a pedestrian that drivers do not see a person in the crosswalk. It is most times NOT due to the design of the road, intersection, crosswalk. It is a matter of the driver failing to understand and comprehend how to properly deal with the blind spot.
 
The car companies are hardly blameless in this. We've all seen photos of little kids standing next to a massive truck. Plus the tinted windows. Plus the raised vehicles. I think it's just that a certain number of deaths are considered acceptable (even though nobody would ever admit this publicly) because clearly ALL of these things are fixable, which is the very point of the actual Vision Zero, versus what watered down version we are being served here.
 
Kosy123 said:
Yeah this shit is getting ridiculous. The amount of times I've almost been run over as a pedestrian and a cyclist has been too high, along with the dangers of just driving in general now.
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In the Netherlands, the modern bike and safe streets movement and reaction against car-centric urban planning took hold in the 60s and 70s.

In 1971 alone, over 400 children were killed in traffic accidents across the country. A mother named Maartje van Putten helped launch this movement after a 6-year-old girl was killed on her way to school. The group of moms organized protests, blocked streets, and demanded safer, quieter streets for children to play in.

Still, it also took an oil embargo crisis in 1973 (gas prices in the country quadrupled and car-free Sundays were initiated), to also help the active transportation and safety movement along.
 
In Winnipeg

Screenshot_20251125_162822_Slack.jpg
 
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