They both involve the same activity--operating a motor vehicle in a city environment. Besides, the original comparison was between transportation and street racing!
The original comparison was between two dangerous activities, not between two dangerous modes of transportation the danger of which might be informatively amortized across the quantity of transportation provided.
> They both involve the same activity--operating a motor vehicle in a city environment
That is not the same activity. You have generalized so far beyond the original point it no longer makes sense.
Is a speed eating competition where you eat as many hotdogs as possible in a NY hot dog establishment the same activity as making homemade salad with your family at home?
They're both "eating food in a city" right? They are not the same activity, and street racing is not the same activity as commuting home or going to the store for toilet paper.
That's a lofty goal, and probably impossible with the improvements they are suggesting. Just reducing speed (increasing congestion) and installing more traffic lights/crosswalks won't eliminate all traffic deaths.
To actually accomplish something like that you would need to radically redesign the city. Eliminate non-autonomous cars, build a really first class subway system (bus accidents are a thing!), go all-in on elevated walkways, invent some kind of really effective suicide counseling, etc...
That said, even if they "fail" and only eliminate 90% of the traffic fatalities/major injuries that's still a big win IMHO.
I think speed reduction is the biggest. Yes, zero does sound almost impossible. US commercial air travel had zero deaths in 2017, so that should give some confidence.
Commercial air travel doesn't have to deal with pedestrians.
That's basically my option B from above. Ban all surface transportation and massively expand the subway system. Also redesign the subway system so it can deliver packages now. Absolutely no chance in hell of getting that done by 2025. Oh, and also redesign all subway platforms so people can't use them to commit suicide.
Or maybe they're trying the London option and making gridlock so bad that no car ever gets enough speed to seriously injure a pedestrian.
