EPISODE 170: A Doctor's View of Traffic Violence
About this episode
Dr. Rex Tai, a long-term care physician, connects the hidden aftermath of traffic violence to car dependence, inequality, and “mobility justice.” He describes catastrophic injuries—especially traumatic brain injuries leading to ventilators, tracheostomies, pressure sores, seizures, and lifelong care needs—then explains how insurance, staffing shortages, and neighborhood design determine who ends up in nursing homes versus at home. The conversation expands into how bike lanes, delivery workers, and immigration/“who gets to move” all reflect whose safety is prioritized, ending with calls to support grassroots advocacy.
We talk with a guest who knows firsthand just how destructive cars can be. Dr. Rex Tai is a physician who works in long-term care. Many of his patients are the victims of traffic violence. His experience providing care for these people has been part of his growing awareness of how our country's car-dependence creates and exacerbates inequality and division in our society and even in our global politics. We talk about all that, the effects of catastrophic injury for individuals and families, and how the public health crisis of traffic violence is just one aspect of a system that limits our mobility in so many ways, as well as dividing us from each other.
If you'd like to check out some of the organizations Dr. Tai mentions in the episode, here they are:
WE ACT for Environmental Justice
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