Skip to Content
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Streetsblog Los Angeles home
Log In

What if news articles of shootings, stabbings and other deaths used
the same language normally employed to describe traffic collisions?
Today on the Streetsblog Network, David Alpert of Greater Greater Washington
points to media coverage of a crash in Culpeper County, VA, as an
example of our tendency to view traffic violence as an immutable force
of nature.

Nonews story ever began saying, "A person was killed yesterday when hecollided with a bullet moving at high speed in the opposite direction."Yet that's exactly how news stories about traffic "accidents" oftenbegin.

Our habit of dehumanizing the actions of cars tends tocreate assumptions that their actions are not actually someone'sresponsibility. A driver hit and killed some people in another car inCulpeper. It's extremely unlikely his car magically malfunctioned. Andeven if it did, we don't engage in the same linguistic contortions tosay, for example, that a police officer's bullet impacted a suspectedrobber, who had himself been holding a gun which fired into someoneelse earlier in the day. That would be silly. So is this.

Elsewhere on the Network, with the MTA set to vote on drastic fare hikes and service reductions tomorrow, Second Avenue Sagas looks back at how the agency, and the region, finds itself on the brink of transit doomsday. Still, The Transport Politic notes that some in Staten Island see light rail in that borough's future. And as Urban Milwaukee prepares for new streetcar service, Beyond DC welcomes rail to BRT pioneer Curitiba, Brazil.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Los Angeles

Streetsblog Mourns the Passing of Donald Shoup

Rest in peace, Professor Shoup. Your memory will always be a blessing and your legacy will live for generations

February 8, 2025

Friday News Bits: Measure HLA, Metro Grants, and CicLAvia

Next week Measure HLA implementation documents face a city council committee meeting - plus new Metro MAT bike/walk grant cycle announced, and a new April CicLAvia map

February 7, 2025

In LA, it’s one crisis after another — and she can’t catch a break.

From the pandemic to the housing crisis to the wildfires, Wendy Lopez is among those caught in a cycle making it impossible to recover

February 7, 2025

SGV Connect 133: Introducing StreetSmart

Have you checked out StreetSmart? Here's some clips from our first three episodes.

February 6, 2025
See all posts