On October 1st, I was the victim of a hit-and-run.

As my head bled out, my biggest fear was if anyone believed I was not at fault.

I’d learn this is how other victims would feel. After all, drivers have been reckless with impunity.

At the time, I was just starting my creative journey as an animator. Sudden impact, paralysis, tremors– going through the motions of the wreck changed my perspective on design itself.

I began to see our streets differently.

I wondered why the numbers were growing, why some groups are more affected than others.

Our streets are dangerous by design, with little barrier between pedestrians and drivers. Our vehicles are getting bigger. Larger SUVs and trucks pose greater obstacles in a driver’s field of vision.

Our infrastructure leaves disadvantaged neighborhoods at greater risk. There are fewer parks, sidewalks, and crosswalks. And guys like Robert Moses, an urban planner who made design choices to isolate low-income minorities.

As US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg acknowledged, such decisions “obviously reflects racism that went into those design choices.”

What if road design prioritized safety and equity? What if new investments were made to public transportation? What if new tax policies were enforced to deter the purchase of large vehicles? It’s a timely call for change as President Biden’s $1 trillion infrastructure plan is underway.

The US is a global outlier in roadway deaths. But all these deaths are preventable. 

In the months after my crash, I was obsessed with dissecting our roads and finding faults for improvement. Every car filled me with rage. I brooded over the driver who hit me. Where is he? What if he hadn’t fled? 

It took the comfort of close friends to pull me out of total despair. This is what was missing. Care, support, accountability towards one another.

There’s a reason why the road figures prominently as a symbol of one’s personal journey through life. It takes us to new places and keeps us moving. It shows us where we’ve been and where we’re going.

I envision a future of innovative road designs and a more equitable infrastructure that fosters safety, accessibility, and pride in nurturing our community. We all play a part in paving the way.