The vehicles on American roads have grown larger — and they are killing thousands more pedestrians, a Times investigation found.
Americans’ love affair with big cars is killing them
New analysis shows that the heaviest vehicles kill more people than they save in crashes
Britain’s cars and SUVs are growing bigger – but there is a way to stop this deadly ‘carspreading’ | Christian Wolmar
Larger vehicles crowd our roads and are far more dangerous to pedestrians. Let’s curb them before they do even more damage, says says transport commentator Christian Wolmar
If there’s a war on cars in the USA then the cars have won
American vehicles have grown heavier, faster, and wider every decade since 1982 — and federal fuel economy rules reward the growth. Evidence from 50 years of EPA data.
The Modern Moloch
On the streets of early 20th-century America, nothing moved faster than 10 miles per hour. Responsible parents would tell their children, “Go outside and play in the streets,” all day. And then the automobile happened. And then automobiles began killing thousands of children, every year. Much of the public viewed the car as a death machine.
Helsinki, Finland's Amazing Traffic Safety Record, Explained
The Nordic nation’s rate of vehicle fatalities is a fraction of the toll in the US, despite a harsh climate and ice-covered streets. Here’s how the Finns do traffic safety.
Vigilantism comes for Flock
More Americans than ever are destroying Flock license plate cameras amid rising backlash against the company. Is the tide turning on intrusive U.S. mass surveillance, and where does the privacy fight go next?
Why Public Transportation Works Better Outside the U.S.
The widespread failure of American mass transit is usually blamed on cheap gas and suburban sprawl. But the full story of why other countries succeed is more complicated.
'Step back' - air pollution at pedestrian crossings
Every busy road produces a cloud of pollution you can't see. Where you stand in it matters more than most people might realise.
Yohan on Twitter / X
For six months, Google Maps sent a slice of drivers in ten American cities down deliberately slower routes.About 30 seconds slower on average, and under 2% of trips were touched. The experiment ran on roughly 100 of the most congested road segments in each city, switching on… pic.twitter.com/5cshNdmWU2— Yohan (@yohaniddawela) August 28, 2026
Killing someone with a car costs $1.6 million. California requires drivers to carry $30,000
NHTSA puts the average economic cost of a traffic fatality at $1.6 million. California requires a driver to carry $30,000 in bodily injury coverage, and everyone who was not in the crash pays the rest.
Speedcam Anywhere
Vehicle exhaust emissions - CO2, PM2.5 and NOx - are highest during acceleration. Microplastic particulates from tire emissions are highest during braking, accelerating and cornering quickly. In urban areas, vehicles accelerate and decelerate repeatedly due to junctions and traffic. Allowing for the emissions when vehicles are accelerating and they typically have the lowest NOx and CO2 emissions, and the best mpg, when driven at maximum speeds of 15-20mph. Particulate Matter (PM2.5) from tyre wear and brake pad wear is a lot higher when decelerating from higher speeds, and also from cornering at higher speeds. Because of the extra emissions during acceleration, NOx and CO2 go up rapidly when driving at higher speeds in urban areas.
Motorists in one of a Montreal’s busiest boroughs support bike lanes
There are real tensions between cyclists, motorists and pedestrians sharing the road, but Montrealers believe traffic-calming measures — bike lanes, speed humps and curb extensions — can improve safety for all road users.
Jefferies’ Chris Wood Warns of ‘Massive Capital Destruction’ From US AI Boom
The most likely long-term outcome of the AI boom will be massive capital destruction in the US, with market share going to cheaper open-source Chinese models, according to Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
Speed Safety System | Los Angeles Department of Transportation
This pilot program will install 125 speed safety systems across the City of Los Angeles to help reduce excessive speeding, save lives, and improve street safety by encouraging safer driving behavior. Utilizing data and community stakeholder input from racial equity, civil liberties, and economic justice organizations – systems will be installed across the city where speeding and crashes happen most often and where children, seniors, and other vulnerable people are concentrated.
The Largest Mass Deportation in American History | HISTORY
Up to 1.3 million people may have been swept up in the campaign.
