As most readers of the book and this blog know, I work in public health, and while the intersection of public health and going carless isn’t a big theme in the book, it’s a big interest of mine. On his blog (which I don’t visit often enough), Ken Archer rightly chides the CDC for only emphasizing traffic safety as a way to reduce road fatalities, and not encouraging reductions in traffic itself. This omission seems particularly odd given that embracing active transportation lies at the heart of many of CDC’s obesity prevention initiatives.
In case you didn’t know, auto accidents are the number 1 cause of death among 1-34 year olds. Here in Illinois, about three people die on the roads every day, with approximately eleven traffic-related injuries occurring every hour. I’m all in favor of seat belts and airbags, and all the traffic calming we can muster. But choosing to go places on foot, by bike, or on mass transit is often the safest decision you can make.
(Via Yglesias.)
