A recent post on TikTok shows exactly how poorly designed streets and distracted drivers are leading to an increase in the number of pedestrians being hurt by traffic. "Your convenience to cut through my neighborhood on the way to work should never override the safety of the people who live there," the caption noted.
TikToker The Happy Urbanist (@jonjon.mp4), otherwise known as Jon Jon, shared heart-racing footage of a family trying to cross a poorly designed neighborhood street. In the video, a mom can be seen with her two children and a dog trying to cross the road at an intersection.
@jonjon.mp4 Your conveinence to cut through my neighborhood on the way to work should never override the safety of the people who live there. A horrible neighborhood interesection @The Happy Urbanist Sometimes they try to solve it by increasing speeds @The Happy Urbanist Makenit a challenge to speed @The Happy Urbanist #neighborhood #carculture #traffic #safety #pedestrian #transit #multimodal #urbanism #urbandesign ♬ original sound - The Happy Urbanist
As the family tries to cross the street, one child falls, so the mom doesn't have time to ensure her first child reaches the other side safely. Jon Jon explains that this is a common sight where he lives in Tennessee, as thoroughfares have been established through residential areas.
Poorly designed roads are contributing to an increase in pedestrian accidents all across the United States. Distracted drivers are driving through areas at high speeds, and people are not provided with safe enough spaces to walk or cross busy intersections. Roads like the one in this reel are often several lanes across and pass through urban areas that are flanked by houses, schools, and playgrounds.
One possible solution to this problem is the installation of pedestrian refuges. Pedestrian refuges create a two-stage crossing for pedestrians by providing a safe island in the middle of the road, which means people only need to cross traffic going in one direction at a time. Designing roads with an increased focus on pedestrian safety would help encourage more people to walk to places when they can and leave their cars at home.
Walking has a number of health benefits, including helping you to maintain a healthy weight, and contributes positively to mental health. Just 30 minutes of walking a day is enough to increase your heart health and muscle strength and help manage conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and joint pain.
Several commenters supported Jon Jon's observations, with one writing, "It's so sad that these are novel ideas in the US."
"I live in the UK where pedestrian refuges are normal and widespread," another commenter said. "Not only do they make it easier for pedestrians to cross, it also subconsciously encourages drivers to slow down."
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