As District pedestrians and drivers face a record increase in crash injury and insurance rates, Howard University senior Evan Barker is among those supporting the D.C. Council’s pending Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Act, a bill introduced that would effectively double the current coverage amount set in 1986.
“Here in D.C., you’re really lucky if [the driver] stops, you’re extremely lucky if they have insurance, and then after that, you’re like the luckiest person in the world if they don’t try to make it seem like it was your fault even if it was theirs,” Barker said.
Following a nonfatal bicyclist collision with a city bus in 2023, Barker told The Informer he simply got up and rode the rest of the way home, unbeknownst to the fact that he would be managing the impacts of the crash for years to come–both physically and financially.
The Georgia native, who’s experienced multiple vehicular incidents since moving to the District, attributes the long-lasting burdens to what he considers ineffective policies and a lack of structure in road safety throughout the nation’s capital.
“The driving safety in D.C. is probably top five lowest in the country, if you ask me,” Barker said blatantly. “People aren’t very considerate, very aware of their surroundings when driving up here. It’s just chaos…but there are a lot of things that go into it.”
If the legislative bill introduced by Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) passes, insurance companies will be required to cover at least $50,000 in medical and auto costs – a whopping boost from the $25,000 established and unmoved nearly 40 years ago.
Despite a 52% drop in traffic fatalities, a decade-long mission that began with D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Vision Zero in 2014, nonfatal crash injury rates nearly doubled from 2019 to 2023, while traffic fatalities increased in the District and Virginia in 2023.
“Traffic risks in the District are increasing quickly, with fatalities having increased by 41% compared to a reduction of 3.6% nationally between 2022 and 2023,” according to a report by Accident Analysis and Prevention.“While preliminary data suggest that, nationally, urban traffic fatalities peaked in 2021, fatalities in Washington, D.C. continue to rise, reaching an all-time high in 2023.”
Among the myriad issues Barker and other crash-injury victims attribute to the cause: impaired and/or distracted driving, speeding, lengthy commute times, outdated insurance plans, disproportionate traffic enforcement, and even larger vehicles.
For Chris Figueras, legislative director at Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan DC, addressing the root cause of vehicular injuries isn’t just understanding how they happen, but ensuring all Washingtonians have a way out of crisis.
“We should all endeavor to make sure none happen, but they do happen,” Figueras told The Informer. “It’s something we can fix in D.C. We talk about [DC Families for Safe Streets] and Vision Zero, but we are not talking enough about picking up the pieces when there is an injury or traffic fatality.”
Black Pedestrians, Wards 7 and 8 Suffer Disproportionate Traffic Injuries
While remaining one of the most walkable and safe cities for pedestrians in the nation, the District holds the rank of the 10th largest increase in pedestrian fatalities over the past five years of all major cities in the country, with several occurring in the southeastern wards.
According to Rutgers University professor Charles T. Brown, traffic data shows a pattern of inequity from decades of neglect and disinvestment in quality infrastructure in Black and Brown communities.
“It’s structural racism,” he told The Washington Post in 2022. “These communities have a disproportionate share of high-speed roadways. They have insufficient lighting for nighttime travel. They are bifurcated in service of the suburban communities and the travelers that are commuting to and from D.C. on a daily basis.”
As for the predominantly Black Wards 7 and 8, the respective areas account for nine of D.C.’s 22 traffic fatalities this year, and 1,600 of the estimated 5,000 traffic-related injuries, according to the Fatal and Injury Crashes Dashboard.
Some Washingtonians say this has been the status quo for years.
“It almost feels as though there is a culture of recklessness from people who interact with our community,” Congress Heights resident Ameen Beale told The Washington Post in 2022. “Running red lights, running stop signs.”
Barker added, in addition to classic road rage and impatience, a contributing factor to crash injury rates is disproportionate traffic enforcement, citing findings of speed cameras placed in “predominantly low-income neighborhoods” and instances where local police failed to show up at the scene of an accident due to minor injury.
“I don’t think there needs to be a higher police presence for speeding and stuff like that…. But at the same time, there’s also a lack of people being held accountable,” he told The Informer.
While Urban Institute noted street light coverage improves road safety for both pedestrians and drivers, which Bowser echoed in a November 2023 press conference, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) spokesperson Michael Russo recently emphasized MPD’s recommendation for all drivers to follow posted speed limit signs, traffic control devices, and wear a seatbelt.
He additionally touted the efficiency and success of traffic checkpoints in ensuring safety.
“These checkpoints are an education and enforcement tool used to encourage safe driving and hold violators accountable. After its initial success, we increased the frequency of our checkpoints to twice a week,” Russo said in a statement to The Informer. “By conducting traffic safety compliance checkpoints, we’re working to support the city’s Vision Zero initiative and make our streets safer for everyone.”
Advocates Push for Stronger Insurance Protections for Motorists
A victim of a 2012 car accident, Samantha Trumbull joked about the age-old refrain of “getting rich quick” from a car accident payout, while highlighting the sharp realities and detrimental effects of vehicular injury, even with full insurance coverage.
“My hospital and ambulance costs were more than $26,000. This was before 29 days in the hospital, half a dozen surgeries, dental implants,” Trumbull, a policy analyst, told The Informer. “There was $300,000 of insurance coverage in my crash—only $15,000 of it went to a lawyer. $100,000 went to my healthcare provider and I received $180,000, which was much less than my existing medical costs.”
Coupled with the lasting impact of back stiffening, and the fact that she still regularly relies on the assistance of physical therapy, Trumbull is joining lawyers and consumer advocates seeking to improve road safety and increase insurance coverage through the D.C. Council’s proposed Motor Vehicle Insurance Modernization Act.
“These ultra-low minimums are…keeping drivers from understanding the full implications of the responsibility they have when they are [on the road],” Trumbull explained. “If you are the person that is injured by a vehicle, you would want them to have enough coverage to cover the harm they cost. The better coverage that you have as a driver…the more likely you’ll be able to walk away without further financial implications to yourself.”
Attorney Figueras disputes the idea that stronger insurance coverage will drastically raise insurance costs or lead to more uninsured drivers on the road. Car insurance premiums have been on the rise nationwide, with Arbor Data Science reporting a 4% annual premium increase.
Additionally, both Virginia and North Carolina have increased their coverage amounts in past years, underscoring the need for stronger consumer protections.
“Insurance carriers may protest that this bill will increase premiums, but state after state has rejected that claim,” read Mendelson’s statement to introduce the bill. “Innocent victims of motor vehicle accidents have a right to recompense, and it is time the District enters the 21st century.”
With bill confirmation pending, Barker called for more avenues that positively reinforce safer driving in the District and put residents first “without money at the base of it.”
“For everyone who takes this [free] defensive driver course, they get a certain amount of tickets reduced or…extended extenuating balances, you can take the defensive driving course, and that’ll remove that balance,” Barker explained. “Giving people a positive reason to do it, but also…that positive reason would help people in other ways. I think maybe that’s something that could be done.”
