TRANSPORTATION Data: Traffic deaths increase inAustin; Vision Zero’swork is ongoing
BY ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
AUSTINTRAFFIC FATALITIES, 2017-21 There has been an increase in traffic deaths in Austin since 2020, specifically involving pedestrians and motorcycles. Vision Zero is a strategy that aims to reduce traffic fatalities by improving safety on streets, changing policies and educating the community. This data was compiled by the city of Austin. SOURCE: AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
In 2021, data showed a 26% increase in local traffic fatalities from 2020 and 31% from 2019, which mirrored national trends, according to Austin Transportation Department representatives. There was a more than 23% increase in pedestrian traffic fatalities and more than double the number of motorcyclist traffic fatalities com- pared to 2020, according the data. ATD attributed the increase to a rise in traffic violations, including speeding, and impaired driving. “Humans make mistakes, but those mistakes don’t have to be fatal,” ATD Transportation Safety Officer Lewis Leff said. Through a strategy called Vision Zero, the city will continue using street improvements, policy changes and education to reduce deaths and injuries, Leff said. Austin City Council members offi- cially adopted the Vision Zero plan in October 2015, and funding for the
Motorist
Pedestrian Motorcyclist
Bicyclist
Other
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2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
38
23 11
31
30 9
2
4
37
34 12
1
4
48
34 6
4
55
42
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plan comes from the voter-approved 2016 mobility bond that allocated $15 million for Vision Zero and intersec- tion safety initiatives. Although the number of traffic fatalities increased in 2021, the number of serious injuries caused by traffic collisions has been declining, according to Vision Zero data. Trans- portation officials said it is easier to predict what will lead to a traffic injury and reduce that risk compared
to a death. “I think we’re making some real progress on the larger scale. It’s harder to pinpoint where a fatality might happen, but serious injuries tend to occur at some hotspots frequently,” Leff said. In 2020 and 2021, Austin had the fewest number of serious injuries since 2015, despite the rapid popula- tion growth in the city. There were 361 motor vehicle-related serious injuries
five years ago, in 2017, 299 in 2020 and 347 in 2021, according to the data. “From our perspective, we’re doing the right work,” Leff said. “We’re focused on the right areas. It’s going to take a lot more time than any of us hope for, but we’re on the right track, and we could really use community support and understanding that it’s going to take everybody taking some responsibility for what’s happening on the roads.”
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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • FEBRUARY 2022
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