Safety vs. Mobility
Posted on February 12, 2009 by John Morals | Discuss this article
Over the last several years there has been an emphasis on increasing mobility – in other words, keep traffic flowing at an acceptable level of service. (LOS) Public agencies are increasingly developing policies that require a minimum LOS. However, as LOS increases or improves, speed increases and the concern is that higher speeds mean an increase in the severity of crashes and perhaps more fatalities. Speed kills.
Ideally, there would be a perfect balance between the two, but quite often it is not possible, so a compromise must be made.
So, therefore what is more important, mobility or safety?
Safety should be the top priority of public agencies, even if LOS decreases and travelers are forced to spend a few extra minutes in traffic. Public agencies respond to public demands, and the vast majority of complaints are about congestion and not safety. Motorists see and experience congestion on almost a daily basis. But they don’t see safety. If we were to de-emphasize mobility we could in fact help save more lives. And public road agencies should be more concerned that we get to work safely and return home to our husbands, wives and children safely. Seeing my children again is more important than an extra 10 minutes in traffic.
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