As walking and biking become increasingly popular modes of transit, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has introduced a bill to make those activities safer for citizens in Hawaii.
Many people want to walk or cycle as a method of transportation -- and exercise -- but may avoid doing so because of fear of danger. This bill is aimed at instilling confidence and making it easier to use green methods of transportation.
One aspect of the bill is proposing automated pedestrian detection systems on vehicle bumpers. Another is improving the separation of bike lanes from car lanes, as well as improving the sharing of crash data among government agencies.
In a July 29 Facebook post, Schatz said, "For too long, transportation policy has been focused on how we can fit more cars on our roads, but that isn’t the only way people travel. I authored a bill that will make it safer for everyone to use our streets -- whether it’s by foot, by car or by bike. That means more separated bike lanes, better safety standards for car bumpers and pedestrian detection systems like automatic braking sensors, and more."
Over the past decade, the number of people killed by vehicles nationally has risen by almost 50%, according to KITV4 Island News. This makes Schatz's bill not only a necessary piece of legislation to make it easier to use eco-friendly methods of transit, but also to address a growing emergency that is resulting in the deaths of people around the country.