Fresno father works to make roadways safer. He lost his son due to a speeding driver
This time of year, my thoughts turn to my son, Paul, who was killed in 2013 by a speeding driver while trying to cross the street.
Paul was my only child. He was a beloved nephew, grandson and friend to many. I’ll never forget the way he struggled for an hour before succumbing to his injuries. Now, I try to channel my grief and love for him into positive change in my community.
On Sunday, Nov. 20, I am helping to lead Fresno’s first World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, an international demonstration on behalf of the victims of traffic violence. Here in Fresno, concerned community members will participate in a group bike ride/walk, a remembrance ceremony, and the lighting of the Old Fresno Water Tower at Fresno City Hall, where we will demand change from our city leaders.
Crashes like the one that killed Paul aren’t just unfortunate “accidents,” the way they’re commonly framed. We know that with the right policies and with political will, they can be prevented. Roadway deaths have been rising rapidly during the pandemic years, surpassing 46,000 people killed in the U.S. in 2021, a level not seen in more than a decade, according to the National Safety Council.
Our community is particularly dangerous for people walking. The Fresno metro area ranks the tenth worst in the nation for pedestrian deaths, according to Smart Growth America’s “Dangerous by Design” report, issued earlier this year.
We can and must do better. That’s why we demonstrate here in Fresno: to demand safe streets and draw attention to the massive preventable trauma inflicted on our family members and friends by roadway crashes, which disproportionately harm people walking and biking, people of color and low-income people.
Car crashes, despite their low profile relative to other risks, are a leading cause of preventable deaths, especially for our young people. Part of what’s needed to make change is greater recognition of this health crisis.
Copious evidence shows that adding relatively low-cost safety treatments can have a powerful effect on reducing crashes and serious injuries. For example, the Federal Highway Administration reports that “road diets” — adding safety elements to calm traffic on dangerous streets — can reduce crashes between 19% to 47%. Not only do street safety projects reduce traffic deaths and injuries, they also make our cities and towns more walkable and healthier.
We know change is possible because we see success in peer nations that take road safety more seriously than the U.S. For example, New Zealand has a traffic death rate that is one-fifth of ours. And our neighbors in Canada are about half as likely to die in a crash as Americans. However, all too often, our streets in Fresno and across the nation lack essential safety elements, such as connected sidewalks, crosswalks, bikeways, adequate lighting, and traffic-calming measures to reduce speeds. We can change this by redesigning our streets for safety over speed. We know that “Safe Streets Save Lives” — our theme on this World Day of Remembrance.
Therefore, we call on the city of Fresno to adopt a formal Vision Zero resolution, develop a Vision Zero Action Plan and commit resources to its implementation. Fresno leaders need to recognize that they are endangering community members by failing to address unsafe streets. We need to join other communities in California and across the nation who are advancing the goal of zero traffic deaths and severe injuries.
In memory of my son Paul and all those who’ve been injured or lost in preventable roadway crashes, please join us this Sunday in demanding change, starting with Fresno’s formal adoption of Vision Zero, because we all deserve to be safe moving around our communities.