Wes Marshall, a civil engineering professor at the University of Colorado Denver and author of 'Killed By A Traffic Engineer,' dives into the critical flaws of current road design. He argues that traffic engineers have overlooked scientific evidence, contributing to thousands of fatalities each year. The discussion tackles outdated beliefs about road safety, including the misconception that wider roads are safer. Marshall also highlights the benefits of traffic calming circles and the urgent need for data-driven approaches to create safer, pedestrian-friendly streets.
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insights INSIGHT
Traffic Engineering Lacks Science
Many road design standards lack deep scientific foundation despite assumptions to the contrary.
Traffic engineering manuals often perpetuate outdated concepts without strong evidence.
insights INSIGHT
Wider Roads Not Always Safer
Wider roads aren't always safer; original safety studies only covered narrow roads.
Designs today often extend flawed old ideas beyond their applicable scope, risking safety.
insights INSIGHT
Safety Not Top Priority in Design
Safety is claimed as top priority in traffic design but often ranks below congestion and capacity goals.
Roads with heavy engineering tend to have more severe injuries and deaths than pre-engineered roads.
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Wes Marshall's "Killed by a Traffic Engineer" is a critical examination of the American transportation system, arguing that prioritizing mobility over safety has led to numerous preventable deaths. The book challenges the notion that scientific principles guide road design and construction, revealing how flawed priorities and a lack of comprehensive safety considerations result in dangerous infrastructure. Marshall exposes the systemic issues that contribute to traffic fatalities, advocating for a fundamental shift in approach to prioritize safety and reduce the tragic loss of life on American roads. The book's analysis extends beyond technical details, exploring the broader societal implications of prioritizing speed and convenience over human safety. Ultimately, it calls for a radical rethinking of how roads are designed and built in the United States.
Are traffic engineering decisions based on evidence-based research? Not as much as you might think.
If you’ve seen a car crash on the side of the road, you might look at it and think that the person at fault is the driver. But how much blame should be shared by the people who designed those roads in the first place?
Well, some traffic engineers are calling for the field to accept more blame for the crashes and the tens of thousands of annual fatalities that happen on our roads, including Dr. Wes Marshall, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Colorado Denver. In his book Killed By A Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies our Transportation System, he digs into the standards that have dictated traffic design for decades to find out exactly how much science they’re based on. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot less than you’d think.
Host Flora Lichtman sits down with Dr. Marshall to talk about how we got to this point and what a safer version of our streets could look like.
Transcript for this segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.
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