Traffic Fatalities Show Racial Disparities
County Department of Transportation crunching data as part of reckless driving project.
![Car crash on N. Water St. Photo by Michael Horne.](https://urbanmilwaukee.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/IMG_2691-1-1024x768.jpg)
Car crash on N. Water St. Photo by Michael Horne.
There has been a significant decline, nationally, in motor vehicle fatalities since the early 1970s. While there have been spikes and declines in every few years during that time period, the general trend has been one of declining motor vehicle deaths. In 2014, deaths due to motor vehicle accidents began climbing once again.
This trend is mirrored in data for traffic fatalities in Milwaukee County, according to a report from the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT). The report also noted that crash data paints a picture of racial disparity, with census tracts that rank the highest for social vulnerability accounting for more than 50% of the motor vehicle crashes leading to death or fatal injury.
Black and American Indian residents make up the highest amount of crash victims, relative to their share of the population, in Milwaukee County.
The department, along with a team of consultants from MUSE Community + Design, is analyzing this high level data as it begins developing a comprehensive, countywide plan for combatting reckless driving and improving safety within the transportation network.
MCDOT is trying to develop a plan that will include transportation safety projects in all 19 of the county’s municipalities. Once the plan is complete, the county and the municipalities will be able to go after federal funding allocated through the Safe Streets and Roads for All program.
In 2023, county officials conducted an extensive community input campaign. MDOT held 22 meetings, with more than 600 attendees and collected more than 1,000 pieces of feedback.
Based on this information, MCDOT reports that many residents believe that moving away from a car-dominated transportation culture and increased drivers education can improve safety. Additionally, infrastructure is viewed as playing a significant role in street safety. Most of the corridors highlighted for reckless driving are wide streets with multiple lanes that allow for high rates of speed, including Capitol Drive, 27th Street, Lake Drive and Fond du Lac Avenue.
Participants in the feedback sessions indicated that when they do drive, they are altering their routes to avoid dangerous roads and adopting more defensive driving behaviors.
Residents indicated they want to see other forms of transportation boosted, and the root causes of reckless behavior addressed, according to MCDOT. The data also indicated support for using cameras to better enforce traffic rules.
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I’m glad to see that driver education isn’t being suggested as the sole solution to the problem. As the article states, a car dominated culture is the issue. Infrastructure is the problem. Some people are confused why lowering a speed limit doesn’t help. Drivers go the speed that they feel safe and comfortable going. What else do we expect when we build countless large multi lane roads with extra wide lanes?
Adapt road design that encourages safer driving and give people other options (walking, biking, transit)
The article doesn’t identify historical factors as to why there are more traffic deaths among Black & Indigenous people.
Colonialism & Slavery leave horrendous, long term impacts.
Both have been isolated: Reservation and Segregaion.
Separate is not equal.
Milwaukee was known as the “Machine Shop of the World”. Union Workers earned a living-wage, had paid vacation, health insurance and a pension.
It was well known, you could quit your job in the morning and have snother in the afternoon.
hemmorraged jobs as did the Urban North “Rust Belt”.
Corporate greed and Union-busting sent jobs South in the 70s. NAFTA sent jobs to Mexico.
Then the sh*t hit the fan!
“For twenty years, Communist China has held permanent most-favored-nation status, which has supercharged the loss of American manufacturing jobs”.
Wikipedia.
You don’t need a degree in Sociology to understand why Black & Indigenous People are getting killed in. You need critical thinking skills, a heart and vote for basic rights.