Dougherty Arts Center
More Information, Fewer Laws
RECEIVED Wed., Aug. 2, 2006
Dear Editor,
According to APD and DPS records, about 12,000 crashes occur on Austin's streets every year – an average of more than 30 per day. There are about 12,000 injuries and 60 deaths on Austin's streets every year. And we see almost none of this in the news. If we got a daily crash report, with locations, circumstances, time of day, cost of damages, and description of injuries, we would all be well-informed of the risks involved in each mode of transportation and could make decisions accordingly.
Motorcycles represent about 2% of road traffic. Nationally, there were 4,008 motorcycle deaths in 2004, out of 42,636 road-crash deaths. Bicycles, which are thought to be about 1% of road traffic, accounted for 725 deaths in 2004. Motorcycle deaths declined sharply from 4,566 in 1986 to 2,116 in 1997, then rose sharply over the next seven years to 4,008 in 2004. The national speed limit was deregulated in December 1995, and state speed limits on highways rose soon thereafter. Pedestrian and bicycling deaths rose and fell, but basically declined from 1986 through 2004. These are U.S. government figures, available from www.nhtsa.gov.
Local numbers are harder to get. Texas DPS told an information seeker that all records before 1997 had been destroyed. This seems crazy. How can we plan for the future if we don't know the past?
In the absence of widely disseminated crash information, an adult helmet law for bicyclists but not for motorcyclists will lead people to believe, erroneously, that bicycling is more dangerous than motorcycling. Instead of arbitrary rules, adults need enough information to make wise decisions. Instead of an adult bicycle-helmet law, how about information on Austin's annual 12,000 crashes?
According to APD and DPS records, about 12,000 crashes occur on Austin's streets every year – an average of more than 30 per day. There are about 12,000 injuries and 60 deaths on Austin's streets every year. And we see almost none of this in the news. If we got a daily crash report, with locations, circumstances, time of day, cost of damages, and description of injuries, we would all be well-informed of the risks involved in each mode of transportation and could make decisions accordingly.
Motorcycles represent about 2% of road traffic. Nationally, there were 4,008 motorcycle deaths in 2004, out of 42,636 road-crash deaths. Bicycles, which are thought to be about 1% of road traffic, accounted for 725 deaths in 2004. Motorcycle deaths declined sharply from 4,566 in 1986 to 2,116 in 1997, then rose sharply over the next seven years to 4,008 in 2004. The national speed limit was deregulated in December 1995, and state speed limits on highways rose soon thereafter. Pedestrian and bicycling deaths rose and fell, but basically declined from 1986 through 2004. These are U.S. government figures, available from www.nhtsa.gov.
Local numbers are harder to get. Texas DPS told an information seeker that all records before 1997 had been destroyed. This seems crazy. How can we plan for the future if we don't know the past?
In the absence of widely disseminated crash information, an adult helmet law for bicyclists but not for motorcyclists will lead people to believe, erroneously, that bicycling is more dangerous than motorcycling. Instead of arbitrary rules, adults need enough information to make wise decisions. Instead of an adult bicycle-helmet law, how about information on Austin's annual 12,000 crashes?
Yours truly,
Amy Babich
Amy Babich
