City Employs Backwards Frame in Fall Walking Safety Tips

Earlier this week, with the longer nights in mind the City published a seasonal safety note. They lead with exhortation primarily to those on foot: Be Seen and Walk Safely.

via FB

They ask for extra care from people on foot, but only more ordinary care from people driving. 

This is backwards. 

Drivers are the ones who actually employ lethal force. The extra care should be the burden on those driving. (On the City's FB post, people on bike mention having lights and flashers, reflective gear, and still suffering narrow escapes from drivers.)

"Wear reflective clothing" via Twitter

The focus should be instead on "drive safely and slowly" and "look out for others." They could also say, "driving is inherently dangerous and you should only drive as a last resort." The subject of the exhortations should be drivers, "watch more carefully," not the walking object in passive voice, "be seen."

Driving is the dangerous activity, not walking! But instead the City places the burden for safety on the more vulnerable person on foot. It's the victim's responsibility, not the driver's. There's an implied victim-blaming here.

"Careless walking" in 1922

This is a regular theme here. See also:

• "ODOT's Pedestrian Impedance: Blaming the Victim and the Dangers of Drunk Walking" (2012)
• "Why so much Acceptance for Traffic Cone Theory of Walking?" (2015)
  
• "City Report on Walking Deaths a Little Heavy on Victim-Blaming" (2016)
• "With Call to Revive Jaywalking Laws, City Study Whiffs on Speed" (2017)
• "Death on Foot: Too Much on Distracted Walking Canard" (2018)
• "City PSA on Time Change and Safety Needs Paradigm Change Itself" (2019)
• "Satirizing Pedestrian Licenses in 1919: Not Enough has Changed" (2019)
• "New Governors Safety Report on Walking Raises Concern, Misses on Speed" (2020)