the map village street editors

More fatalities occur from car accidents in one month than all shark attacks throughout history. So why is it that when we get into our cars every morning, bleary eyed, in a hurry, sipping coffee or even using a mobile phone that we don’t even fathom the dangerous situation we are getting into? Why are we scared of sharks more than the short drive to work? Not wanting to instil fear into drivers, but more so wanting to alert attention to one of the highest causes of preventable deaths in developed nations, is acclaimed comic artist Woodrow Phoenix. His new comic book, Rumble Strip, highlights the perilous chances that drivers take everyday. Phoenix centres his book on the astonishing fact that 1.2 million people are killed in road traffic accidents around the world each year. He also tries to convey how through an increasing dependence on vehicles, this has led to a critical imbalance in power between drivers and pedestrians. ‘If you want to get away with murder, buy a car’ states the front cover of the book that presents the hard facts on driving – such as this, by 2020 road traffic accidents could outstrip strokes and HIV as one of the main causes of preventable death. Drivers of cars have so much power. Not just over pedestrians, but over motorcyclists and bicyclists and with the degree of variable change on the roads, driving always requires focused attention. If Phoenix has one aim, it’s to reiterate the importance of driving carefully.