AUSTIN, Texas — Three Austin muralists are using art to provide "a visual reminder of what our community values" are and to get road users to slow down and think.
Austin's Transportation Department said the art supports the city's Vision Zero project aimed at ending traffic deaths in the Capital City.
Transportation officials hope that the art will remind the community that crashes are "not accidents," and individual driving decisions matter in keeping roads safe.
One mural tells firsthand stories of car crash victims, while another depicts a woman holding a sign that reads, "Life is valuable, please drive safe."
The murals are located at the Odom Pavilion along the hike-and-bike trail, and at City Star Food.
Last year, 2021, was the deadliest year on Austin roads, with at least 116 deaths involving vehicles. Austin's Transportation Department said two of the leading causes in these crashes include speeding and distracted driving.
Officials said the city has made some progress, however. There were 515 serious injuries on Austin roadways in 2021, which is the lowest number of serious injuries since 2015 (excluding the pandemic year of 2020.)
"Austin Transportation is working hard on our primary strategy to reduce severe crashes – engineering solutions – and we know these solutions take time to implement across Austin," the department said in a press release. "In the meantime, every driver decision can make a life-changing difference. Deciding not to speed, eliminating distractions, choosing to get a safe ride home before a drink, and choosing to stop and yield to people crossing intersections before you turn will save lives."
Austin's Vision Zero program is part of the Vision Zero Network, which is a "growing coalition of U.S. cities committed to eliminating all traffic fatalities."
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