Reply to D.C. needs to get a lot more car friendly

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Let’s see if I understand correctly. It’s Chevy Chase, DC, near MD border. An elderly white man. Not speeding. DC plates. Reportedly mistook the gas and the brake. This situation has zero resemblance to anything being discussed in this thread.

Sounds like an administrative failure. DC needs to get more vigilant about getting elderly drivers off the road. [/quote]

As was discussed in the other thread about this incident, it's actually quite relevant to the question of whether DC should be more or less car friendly.

Yes, people make mistakes while driving. This has always been true and will always be true. But if we make policy that seeks to protect and facilitate pedestrians (and cyclists, and outdoor diners, but the focus should be on pedestrians who are most vulnerable and plentiful), those human errors will be less deadly.

If we lived in a city where driving was HARDER not easier, where parking was less plentiful instead of more, where the focus of infrastructure was on accommodating pedestrians and mass transit instead of individual vehicles, the likelyhood of that man making that mistake in that location and killing two people is much lower.

He could have been on a bus or train instead of in a car, if a bus was more convenient to where he was going.
He could have been driving a smaller car instead of an SUV, if DC infrastructure was more hostile to large vehicles, which are much more dangerous to pedestrians (like a LOT more dangerous).
The diners could have been protected by more sidewalks, trees, bike lanes, and other obstacles between them and the lane of traffic.

All of these are things that would make senseless pedestrian deaths less likely. All of them make the city less friendly to cars but MORE FRIENDLY TO PEOPLE. We should want to live in a city that is friendly to people. [/quote]

100% on everything. Couldn't have said it better myself. Revolting how this guy "accidentally" kills two people and the only policy change that drivers want is taking drivers license from old people. Yeah, that will go over well.[/quote]
There is an entire state regulatory apparatus that has been set up and in use for 100 years for this very purpose. God forbid the first expectation is that this regulatory apparatus is actually used. [/quote]

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