Other blind people came forward representing consumer organizations that said that if a person had appropriate training, no additional cue was needed and that these signals created a false dependency, thus becoming more of a danger to the blind pedestrian. After all, it wasn't an inability to read the signal that killed this woman but the negligence of a driver turning into her path against the light. Given this division in philosophy among the very population served by the requested device, traffic engineers put the project on hold for future study. Two vital, loved, contributing members of society were lost to their families and friends. For a brief time, awareness was raised about aggressive driving and pedestrian safety.
Years pass and the names and stories fade outside their families.
The positive effects of a legacy of death, for both drivers and pedestrians, is that more and more traffic engineers are becoming educated beyond disability rhetoric. These concerned men and women are now working to design generally pedestrian friendly intersections. So much more needs to be done. Police officers and judges need to stop blaming victims for traffic accidents and allowing their empathy for drivers who strike and kill pedestrians to cloud their judgement. Greater awareness of pedestrian rights and issues must be brought to city officials and the media through a diverse coalition.