If Elon Musk bleeds, it leads

When given an opportunity to help American drivers slow down, corporate media would rather dunk on Tesla.

Mike Gagliardi works as a researcher for one of the major news networks in a year when pedestrian deaths are on pace to hit a 40-year high. But that’s nowhere near as sensational as a story that drags Elon Musk and/or Tesla. So even though people are slamming vehicles of all sizes into pedestrians at an alarming rate, he takes this angle:

Clickbait headlines polarize readers on social media. And since Musk is a villain to corporate media outlets, they go for rage clicks. It’s the modern ad-based business model. I have no allegiance to Musk or Tesla. My dream electric vehicle is a pricey upright bicycle, not a sedan or truck. I don’t care if a media outlet despises his very existence. 

NBC missed a huge opportunity to address pedestrian safety and the passenger vehicle market. They could have pursued one of many provocative and complicated storylines that might lead to meaningful change. Instead, it comes off like a classic tabloid listicle: 7 Ways Elon Wants to Kill the Competition AND You!

Tall, fast, heavy vehicles are a growing problem. Americans have demonstrated an inability to safely operate powerful machines for the last 100 years. But as the machines grow, they also feel easier and safer to maneuver. We take risks behind the wheel that we’d never take in a small, flimsy ride.

After 10 paragraphs training the reader to loathe the new Cybertruck, we finally get to the important part:

Concerns about vehicle safety have grown as pedestrian deaths continue to climb, reaching a 40-year high this year. Traffic deaths have also risen, with vehicle deaths per million rising in the United States in recent years as they fell in other developed countries, according to a New York Times analysis. In the first half of this year, an estimated 19,515 people were killed in traffic crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Yes, the Tesla Cybertruck is going to be abused. But it’s not even on the road yet, and it’s certainly never going to be ubiquitous. Framing Tesla as a primary culprit for pedestrian safety concerns distracts from the larger, systemic issues. People walking are already getting beat to hell by pickups and SUVs. 

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has been documenting the safety implications of large vehicles, with particular emphasis on the risk to pedestrians.

In general, vehicles taller than 35 inches were more dangerous to pedestrians than the shorter ones, mainly because they tended to cause more severe head injuries. Among vehicles taller than 35 inches, those with vertical front ends were more dangerous than those with sloped front ends. Torso and hip injuries from these vehicles were more frequent and severe.

Unlike all other vehicle types, tall and blunt vehicles primarily inflicted torso injuries with their front ends rather than with the tops of their hoods. They were more likely to injure pedestrians by throwing them forward, while tall and sloped vehicles usually rolled them onto the hood of the vehicle first.

Pedestrian fatalities have been steadily rising for years, influenced by factors like:

• Increasing popularity of SUVs and trucks: Their bigger size and blind spots contribute to more severe pedestrian injuries.

• Speeding and distracted driving: Drivers thinking they can maintain control or focusing on devices behind the wheel.

• Inadequate infrastructure: Lack of traffic calming measures leave pedestrians vulnerable.

Johns Hopkins recently published a study about lane widths that would’ve made an excellent feature for a journalist looking to draw attention to pedestrian safety.

There are so many questions that NBC could’ve focused on, any one of which could make for a provocative article, which obviously pleases advertisers. But maybe it’s more complicated than that. Automobile companies spend a fortune on advertising, while Tesla spends nothing (or close to it.) Instead, Tesla spends more on research and development than anyone else. Maybe NBC knows exactly what its advertising partners want to see. 

I’m not going to speculate on motives for choosing Elon clickbait over a public health crisis. What I know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that the following questions don’t require an expertise in pedestrian safety. Anyone with access to an internet question could start here:

What is Vision Zero?

• Showcase examples of cities successfully implementing Vision Zero initiatives, demonstrating its real-world effectiveness to protect pedestrians.

• Discuss how the Cybertruck's design aligns or clashes with Vision Zero principles, pointing out how this truck is a new variation on an old theme.

Can traffic calming help?

• Explore specific traffic calming measures like road diets, speed humps, raised crosswalks, and narrowed lanes, explaining how they encourage slower driving and create safer pedestrian environments.

• Provide data or case studies demonstrating the positive impact of traffic calming on pedestrian safety in various contexts.

Are EVs worth the trade-offs?

• Acknowledge the environmental benefits of EVs but raise concerns about potential trade-offs like increased vehicle size and weight impacting pedestrian safety.

• Talk about the anxieties over EV safety while presenting research or expert opinions on mitigating these risks.

Why are so many Americans speeding?

• Investigate the underlying factors contributing to speeding, including cultural attitudes towards traffic laws, distracted driving, and police enforcement.

• Discuss initiatives like public awareness campaigns, automated speed enforcement, and the frequent pushback against infrastructure designed to reduce driving speeds.

Is there any way to slow down traffic?

• Explore various strategies to slow traffic beyond merely using stop signs and traffic lights, like roundabouts, complete streets, and green infrastructure design.

• Analyze the potential of smart traffic management systems and connected vehicles to optimize traffic flow and improve safety.

What's the role of street design?

• Showcase examples of streets designed for pedestrians, incorporating crosswalks, protected lanes, and comfortable sidewalks.

• Discuss the ethical considerations for civil engineers, emphasizing their responsibility to prioritize safety for all road users.

Are civil engineers violating their code of ethics?

• Open a dialogue about potential tensions between traditional engineering priorities like traffic flow and speed vs. ethical obligations to prioritize pedestrian safety.

• Confront engineers about how the outcome of their work violates the code of ethics they’ve sworn to uphold, and interview attorneys about the possibility of lawsuits.

How does street design influence driver behavior?

• Explore how design elements like lane width can subconsciously influence driver decisions and speed.

• Interview sociologists and psychologists about human nature in and out of vehicles. Compare and contrast human factors research with status quo street design.

There’s a decades-long pattern of death and destruction that has nothing to do with Cybertruck. If you want to radicalize people to be pedestrian safety advocates, focus their attention on the systemic issues. Without that context, the crosswalk and sidewalk slaughter will continue. 

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