The terrible news this week that a Princeton Middle School student died in a collision with a car at Terhune Road and Ewing Street has left many of us in shock and despair. Several trustees at ‘Walk Bike Princeton‘, the local nonprofit dedicated to street safety, have children at Princeton Middle School. We feel a very close connection to this incident, and it hits particularly hard. What can we say? What should we say?

In response to media reports about the incident, plenty of commenters have weighed in on social media and elsewhere. Some have blamed the student himself for riding some kind of motorized bicycle. Others expressed concern about traffic coming from newly-built apartment buildings, or argued that walkers and cyclists in general are to blame for crashes, because they don’t pay attention to car traffic.

On the other hand, Walk Bike Princeton members have questioned other aspects of the crash. Was visibility impaired at the intersection by high hedges in the public right-of-way? Was speeding involved? Are the two-way Stop intersections that are widespread in Princeton North confusing to road users? There has been a deep discussion about whether we should discuss all this in public right now. Different people feel strongly about what could or should be said. In practice this can mean that there is no joint statement, because it is so hard to find consensus at a time of high emotion.

It is the opinion of this writer that it is not really appopriate to discuss specifics of the crash right now. First, as is often the case after a serious crash, we don’t really know what happened. All of the reporting is based on a limited statement by Princeton Police on social media. Some details in that statement have changed during the week. More importantly, it doesn’t seem right to engage in a blame game while a family is grieving.

The statement from the Mayor and Council of Princeton, released on Tuesday, focused on extending “our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this tragic loss, and we respectfully ask that their privacy be honored as they grieve.” This is a good statement, putting the focus where it ought to be – on respecting the family. But is it enough for a road safety advocacy organization to ask for “thoughts and prayers“?

Four people on foot or bikes have now lost their lives in collisions with cars in Princeton in the past three years. In every case, the circumstances are slightly different, but we have a recurring problem. Parents have noted that local roads feel so unsafe that they are too scared to let their kids walk or bike to school. But shock at individual incidents often seems to fade quickly. When our family rode our bikes to the Princeton Middle School choir concert on Wednesday night, we were surprised to see rushing car drivers make aggressive passing movements. Do they not know what happened this week?

In response to a tragedy like this, we have to re-commit to making our streets safe enough so that everybody can use them without fear of loss of life or serious injury. That can mean many things, such as considering policies about education, enforcement of traffic laws, and street design. This holistic approach is called ‘Vision Zero‘, because it aims for a world in which we have zero traffic fatalities. Vision Zero is a stated policy of the town of Princeton, but it often seems that safety improvements come very slowly.

So, I send my deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased child. What they must be going through is unimaginable, and I really wish I could make it better. And without dwelling on the specifics of this crash for now, I will do what I can to make sure that no other family has to go through this again. We can do better, and we must.

This post is by Walk Bike Princeton trustee, Sam Bunting, writing as an individual, and not on behalf of the entire organization. Crossposted at the Walk Bike Princeton blog at this link.