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Drive Safely – Our Healthcare Professionals are Busy Enough

Near Empty Intersection by the University of Washington During Washington's Stay Home, Stay Safe Order. Even with a decrease in traffic, cities across the country are seeing people driving above the speed limit.
Near Empty Intersection by the University of Washington During Washington’s Stay Home, Stay Safe Order. Even with a decrease in traffic, cities across the country are seeing people driving above the speed limit.

Cities across the continent – from Toronto to New York City – are noticing an increase in driving speeds during this pandemic. This is due, in part, to the fact that cars tend to slow down other cars. Without traffic, those still on the road are more likely to speed. We’d like to remind Seattleites of the role each and every one of us plays in keeping one another safe.

Staying home is helping our communities immensely, but being a hero doesn’t stop there. Stick to the speed limit to ensure the safety of all who use our streets.

Two signs: Keep Kids Safe (Left), and Stop for Pedestrians (Right). These signs are a part of the Vision Zero campaign.

Reducing speed limits has a proven safety benefit. A person walking, rolling, or biking is twice as likely to be killed if they are hit by a person driving 30 MPH than someone going 25 MPH. 90% of people hit by cars going 20 MPH are injured but survive. 

Chart showing that a person’s chance of surviving being hit by a car decreases drastically with faster speeds.
A person’s chance of surviving being hit by a car decreases drastically with faster speeds. Graphic: ProPublica. Data: AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety report.

Vision Zero is our effort to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030.

Crews installing 25 MPH signs as part of an effort to reduce speed limits on many Seattle streets.
Crews installing 25 MPH signs as part of an effort to reduce speed limits on many Seattle streets.

When it comes to traffic safety & moving toward Vision Zero, it’s about a culture change. It’s a shift from accepting accidents, to preventing crashes and making streets safer for everyone.

We continue to do our part to make our streets safer. Recently, we have:

This shift also takes changes from you! What better way to say thank you to our health care professionals right now than to keep our roads safe?

Visit our Vision Zero webpage for more information about how we plan to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2030.