In this Washington Post column Eben Weiss, writer of the Bike Snob NYC blog, takes on the renewed push to preserve public street space for cars by blaming the victims of car crashes. Included in the column is this Volvo LifePaint promotional video, an excellent example of the car makers’ PR campaign to maintain ownership of the streets.
This is just another way for drivers to outsource any and all responsibility for what they do with their cars to other road users. The giveaway? Volvo’s promotional video is full of testimonials, including this one from a driver: “Putting something on that will make you scream out to drivers like me is a fantastic thing.” What? How oblivious are you? Nobody should have to “scream out” to you to get your attention while you’re driving a car. You should already be giving it, and undividedly so.