World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Roadside memorial in Denton. (Image: Rich Anderson, CC BY-SA 2.0)
At least twelve people have been killed on roads in the Denton city limits since last year’s World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Another 79 people were seriously injured, according to data from TxDOT’s crash database.
The World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims is observed on the third Sunday of November every year. The date is a time to remember loved ones killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes and to advocate for change.
Lives Lost in Denton
Each life lost in a traffic crash represents dozens of other people impacted by the pain of the loss.
Since the last World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, 21 year-old Kineaka Solitaire, mother, daughter, sister, cousin and niece was killed in a crash on I-35E. Interstate 35 is the deadliest road in Denton, killing an average of 7 people each year. Since last November, approximately six people were killed on I-35, including Ashley Dattalo (26), Jacob Gray (42), Victor Manuel Soto (51), and an unidentified 82 year-old woman.
TxDOT roads are the site of 80 to 90 percent of traffic fatalities in the Denton city limits each year despite being the site of only 65 percent of all crashes. Since last November, nine people died in crashes on TxDOT roads in Denton, including six on I-35, two on Dallas Drive and one on US 380.
Two people were killed in crashes on city roads. Steven Daniel Powers, 23, died following a crash on Meadow Street. A 76 year-old man died following a crash on S Bell Avenue.
Growing Traffic Safety Crisis
Every year, approximately 1.3 million people die in traffic crashes worldwide. The average number of people killed in traffic crashes annually is around 48,000 in the United States, 4,000+ in Texas and nearly 17 in the City of Denton.
Annual traffic deaths in the United States and Texas have increased each year since 2019. Preliminary data indicates traffic fatalities will increase again in 2022.
The traffic fatality rate in the U.S. is notably higher than the rate in other high-income countries, which average 8 traffic deaths for every 100,000 people. The traffic fatality rate per 100,000 people is 5 in Canada, 5 in Australia, 4 in the Netherlands, 3 in the United Kingdom, and 13 in the United States, according to 2019 data from the World Bank.
Road fatalities per 100,00 people by country (ITF Road Safety Annual Report 2021)
Advocates argue that the United States’ high traffic fatality rate is due to a combination of factors including the growing weight and height of automobiles, lack of safety technologies like alcohol detection, high speed limits in cities and road design practices that prioritize speed over safety.
Reducing Traffic Fatalities and Serious Injuries
In 2019, the Denton City Council approved the development of a Vision Zero Action Plan to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries. Staff began developing the action plan this year, led by Pritam Deshmukh, who recently left the city for a job elsewhere. It is unclear how Deshmukh’s departure will impact the development of the action plan.
At least one person has died in a crash on a road in Texas since November 7, 2000. TxDOT’s #EndTheStreakTX campaign aims to reduce traffic deaths by asking imperfect humans to stop making errors rather than addressing road design and policy that increase the risk of death when someone makes a mistake.
In 2019, TxDOT released a statement that it embraces a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2050. However, TxDOT has dedicated only a tiny sliver of roadway funding for safety. The TxDOT Commission recently adopted its Unified Transportation Program (UTP), which identifies how TxDOT plans to spend funding for the next ten years. The $85 billion 2023 UTP allocates about 5 percent toward road safety projects and 2 percent to non-automobile projects like sidewalks and bike lanes.
Road safety advocates are urging leaders to adopt a series of policies to address the growing traffic safety crisis:
Design roads and set policies for safety over speed.
Ensure safe infrastructure for all road users, including people walking, rolling, bicycling and taking public transit.
Update vehicle design standards to mandate alcohol detection systems, speed governors and vehicle body design that is less deadly to people outside of an automobile.
What You Can Do
Share your story. If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a traffic crash, share your story with elected officials and on social media. It is too easy to see road fatalities as numbers instead of real people who are missed.
Demand change. For decades, the safety of our transportation system has relied on perfect behavior from imperfect humans. We know humans make mistakes. The transportation system should ensure mistakes don’t result in loss of life.
Vocally support road safety projects and initiatives. For most projects and initiatives—especially those that involve change—the loudest voices are usually the people who oppose change. If Denton is considering something that would calm automobile traffic or provide safer infrastructure for people walking, rolling or bicycling, take a few minutes to contact Denton City Council members to let them know that you support the project and why.
Vote. Vote in all city council, state and federal elections. Seek candidates who prioritize safety over speed. If you have the chance to speak to a candidate, tell them that road safety is important to you and explain why. Ask them for their thoughts and ideas.
On this World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims, remember those we’ve lost and make a commitment to support change and act to build a safer transportation system.
