The US road network features poor pedestrian safety, a problem the authorities are struggling to tackle. According to data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,977 pedestrians died on US roads in 2017. Of concern is that this is the second highest figure since 1990, with 2016 having seen the peak with a figure 2% higher.
Worryingly, pedestrian deaths are some 46% higher than they were in 2009. Of note too is that road deaths increased by 3% for occupants of SUVs and by
New York City is now working towards cutting out traffic deaths, as part of a Vision Zero programme. The strategy is already seeing major benefits with traffic fatalities having been reduced by 23% since 2013. An official report reveals that the city’s road safety programme is having a positive effect, due in part to the use of data to identify prime factors in road deaths from crashes.
Vitronic has installed sensor technology along a designated Test Track for Automated and Connected Driving – TAVF – on a public road in Hamburg, Germany. This test installation aims to contribute to optimising traffic flow and increasing road safety, particularly vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, on a busy road about 2km from the main railway station.
