We’ve discussed traffic fatalities around Atlanta for a long time here, especially when the peds, cyclists and drivers are all trying to blame each other for their respective problems.  Unfortunately we didn’t have this very informative new map by ITO, which maps every single road fatality in the U.S. from 2001-2009, available to us then.   But we do now!

If you zoom in close enough, not only does it inform you of the gender, age and date of the incident, but it also color-codes the victim by their mode of transit.

There are indeed many takeaways from such a map – and I’m certainly hopeful that you all will point out some other good ones – but looking primarily at the Decatur area first, it’s sort of incredible the almost complete lack of fatalities within the city limits, especially when it comes to pedestrians.  Zoom out a bit more – so that Peachtree Street is on the far left of the map and Stone Mountain is at the right – and the void of icons in and around the Decatur area is truly impressive.  (And this ain’t no tranquil ‘burb area, we’re talking about a fully functional downtown with lots of traffic lights, intersections, crosswalks and whatnot!)

We talk a lot about the health incentives of a more walkable community around these parts, but the general lack of you know…DEATH…from various means of transport is often  understated.  I try not to get all that preachy around here anymore, but it seems to me that any inconvenience that we may have to shoulder due to Decatur’s old and newly “walkable scale” is well worth knowing that you’re a little less likely to be, you know, dead, based solely on your – and others – transportation choices.