Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Streetsblog USA

Awful Pedestrian Shaming Campaign Gets the Smackdown It Deserves

Montgomery County, Maryland, used this ill-considered poster to blame pedestrians who are hit by cars. Photo: Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland, thought this was a good public safety message. Photo: Montgomery County
false

This PSA from Montgomery County, Maryland, has got to be one of the all-time worst examples of pedestrian shaming. The young girl with tire treads across her face, it's implied, was struck and killed by a driver because she was "wearing black."

The message was the county's response to two recent pedestrian fatalities. According to the county, police will be ticketing drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists who break laws. The victim-blaming posters combined with the everyone-gets-fined approach to enforcement tells us this "safety campaign" won't make pedestrians any safer.

On Twitter, Colin Browne succinctly summed up what's wrong with Montgomery County's approach:

.@MontgomeryCoMD here I fixed it for you pic.twitter.com/yJKfUVcKKT

— Colin (@ColinTBrowne) November 3, 2016

Can Montgomery County replace its campaign imagery with Colin's version?

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

The Smog President Takes California to Court

I'm not even sure which Trump-made disaster he's trying to distract people from with this latest stunt.

March 13, 2026

The Short Week in Short Videos

Diverters, e-bikes, and a cameo appearance for Joe's kitchen.

March 13, 2026

Friday’s Headlines

Man, this guy really likes smog.

March 13, 2026

Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: Drivers are Destroying Ktown Mini-Traffic Circle

Some Streetsblog readers are familiar with some of the sad history of the deadly intersection of 4th Street and New Hampshire Boulevard in L.A.’s Koreatown neighborhood. Last year, after a driver killed a 9-year-old, and after volunteers painted guerilla crosswalks, the city of Los Angeles Transportation Department (LADOT) installed official crosswalks and a temporary traffic…

March 13, 2026

Friday Video: Buenos Aires Will Challenge Everything You Think You Know About Buses

The Paris of South America has an amazing bus system — but it doesn't run like North American ones at all.

March 13, 2026

Reading Changes in City Streets

Markings on cities streets can sometimes reveal what used to be there.

March 12, 2026
See all posts