A new data-based project out of New York shows where people have died in traffic crashes across the U.S., including those killed in D.C.
Max Galka, a self-described “data cruncher” who cofounded real-estate venture Reevaluate, published a map showing all traffic deaths from 2004 to 2013, based on statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Galka classified the data by type of incident, gender, and number: For example, the map shows that a female pedestrian died between those years near Dupont Circle, on Connecticut Avenue NW. Galka also included tools that highlight whether alcohol, speeding, or distracted driving contributed to incidents. (For the woman who died on Connecticut Avenue, alcohol is shown to have been a factor.)
“What struck me most was the number of [all] accidents that were likely preventable,” he told Streetsblog. “Fifty-eight percent were caused by either alcohol, speeding, or driver distractions. In particular, speeding appears to be far more dangerous than I realized.”
The tool provides an interesting counterpoint to D.C.’s Vision Zero Safety Map, which allows users to input traffic-incident data from across the District and is designed to help the District Department of Transportation and other agencies learn where such incidents are most prevalent. The Vision Zero map was launched earlier this year. The goal of the initiative is to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2024.
You can view Galka’s full map here.