On NPR 's On Point, I discussed the feds' proposal to restrain car bloat: "It's a watershed moment for NHTSA, [proposing] not a suggestion, but a rule within the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to protect pedestrian safety." Recording/transcript:

Trucks and SUVs are bigger — and more dangerous — than ever. New safety rules aim to fix that

Pedestrian deaths in this country are at an all-time high. And now, the government is stepping in. For the first time ever, the National Highway Tr...

The only way to avoid crash deaths from oversized SUVs & pickups is to reduce car bloat. Technology alone won’t do it – even if automakers claim otherwise. Me, in Slate

Slate Magazine

The Solution to Giant Killer Cars Is Really, Really Simple

It’s not cars that are more sophisticated.

#cars #safety

Want cheaper housing? Better transit service? More restaurants within walking distance? Zoning rules can make it easier – or impossible. In CityLab, I spoke with Sara Bronin about her new book, Key to the City, and zoning's hidden powers.

Bloomberg.com

Unlocking the Hidden Power of Zoning, for Good or Bad

In her new book, lawyer and architect Sara Bronin shows how land use regulations shaped US cities and makes a case for using these rules for progre...

#cities #zoning #housing #books

My initial reaction: This is a huge step in the right direction — and long overdue. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards have real teeth. If this proposal comes into effect, carmakers will finally have to address how car bloat endangers pedestrians.

AP News

US seeks new pedestrian safety rules aimed at increasingly massive SUVs and pickup trucks

The U.S. government’s road safety agency wants the auto industry to design new vehicles including SUVs and pickup trucks so they reduce pedestria...

This week’s Economist cover story is brought to you by US automakers and the federal government, both of which have been ignoring car bloat for decades.

In The Verge, I explained why self-driving cars could be a disaster for climate change and road safety -- even if they work perfectly. The answer lies in the Jevons paradox, a classic 19th century economic theory.

The Verge

What a 160-year-old theory about coal predicts about our self-driving future

When you make something easy to use, people want to do it more.

#climate #climatechange #cars

The Economist has published a deeply-researched story about car bloat -- and it's very, very damning. "For every life that the heaviest 1% of SUVs and trucks save, there are more than a dozen lives lost in other vehicles." Well worth your time: https://www.economist.com/interactive/united-states/2024/08/31/americans-love-affair-with-big-cars-is-killing-them

On NPR's Morning Edition, I sounded off about car bloat: Oversized trucks and SUVs "create danger for everybody else on the street because of their mass and because of their height, whether you're walking or biking or inside a smaller car." https://www.npr.org/2024/08/23/nx-s1-5084276/pedestrian-protection-bill-bigger-cars-trucks #cars #bike #walk

It really says something about the USA that a miniature kei car is "too dangerous" for public roads, but a lifted 8,000-lb pickup is just fine.

Ars Technica

A cute, cheap death trap? Japanese Kei cars banned by yet another US state

Limited in size and power, Kei cars are like fishes out of water on US roads.

#cars #safety #policy

As Minnesota governor, Tim Walz signed the most impressive state transportation reform bill in the US, including: - Transit funding - Train service btw Twin Cities & Duluth - E-bike rebates - Requirement that MnDOT offset highway expansion with projects to reduce driving and emissions (important!) Even much bluer states haven 't passed a bill like this. And Walz signed it into law. https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-legislature-set-to-approve-1-3b-transportation-deal-with-gas-tax-hike-delivery-fee-roads/600276657 #HarrisWalz #harris2024 #minnesota #transportation