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Guest: Raul Avelar – IIHS
This is the first episode we’ve also turned into a video podcast. Click here!
This is the second in our series about safety. And, while it isn’t a long conversation, it’s an important one because it helps to set the context for how safety trends are playing out.
My guest is Raul Avelar, Senior Research Transportation Engineer for the IIHS – Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Raul’s area of work is a focus is on bike/ped safety. And that fits right into our series here!
One of the things Raul says not too far into our conversation that piqued my interest is about the difference in behavior between men and women when they are riding and even walking; that men seem to be more aggressive and less likely to “follow the rules” when it comes to traffic safety.
As Rachael Maney said in our conversation from last week, there’s also the difference that seems to be experienced by those who are kitted up like cyclists – flashy jerseys, helmets, and cycling footwear – and recreational cyclists, perhaps in a T-shirt, cargo shorts, and sneakers. Raul’s research seems to confirm those experiences.
Then there’s the issue of whether new features in today’s cars work – warnings such as those that keep you in line and automatic braking. According to Raul, these features work; so, why would someone NOT activate them in their new car?
What Raul has given us is some details about what may be coming that should help us navigate an ever more crowded, speedy, and dangerous transportation world as technology begins to connect roadways, signals, and cars. Perhaps our learning how those things work will give us more confidence to navigate the roads more safely.
While the research shows so much that can be done to make our roads safer, what is most disturbing to me is what seems to be the deliberate removal of that information from the public’s view, putting cyclists and pedestrians in harm’s way unnecessarily.
For more information about the work the IIHS does and to contact Raul, log on to IIHS.org.