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On August 29, 2016, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) released an open data set containing detailed, anonymized information about nationwide traffic fatalities.
This release is not business as usual. The DOT is requesting public input to help them understand what the data are revealing in communities across the country. Some private sector firms and academic institutions are already exploring the data by combining new data with their own, hosting hackathons, and launching new analytical platforms, such as StreetLight Data, CARTO, Mapbox, and Waze.
Streets and sidewalks are not created equally in all neighborhoods. Inequities in transportation systems act as a barrier to health and economic opportunity, particularly in Latino communities, who rely more on public transit and walking. Latinos, therefore, are at increased risked for traffic fatalities and chronic disease associated with physical inactivity.
Numerous issues impact traffic, pedestrian, and bicyclist safety, such as speed, street design, economic conditions, distracted driving, and drinking, and the DOT is asking your to explore them.
“We won’t save the number of lives we aim to without shifting our understanding of traffic violence from an individual behavior problem to a design, policy, and organizational practices problem,” according to the Vision Zero Network.
Start by downloading and playing with the data.
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