Road conditions, speed, impairment, and distractions can all play a role in creating dangerous driving situations. But, there are other factors related to individual drivers. Jennifer Kirchner is executive director for Kentuckians for Better Transportation. Kirchner said state transportation officials are meeting with district transportation offices regarding the “complete street principles.”
“It takes into account the individual user. You know we don’t need a bike lane on every road. We don’t need 18-wheeler trucks on every road. So, how do we work out this transit system so it’s safe and it’s equitable for all of its users,” said Kirchner.
Kirchner said the safe system approach has been discussed for years. It considers five elements of a safe transportation system. Those are safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care in a wholistic manner.
In the pedestrian area, Kirchner said this can be seen in what’s known as “bump outs” on sidewalks to reduce the distance in a crosswalk. She noted sightlines can be reduced on rural roads as well. And Kirchner added those walking in rural areas sometimes have no sidewalks at all.
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