Last month’s Ride for Magnus was more than just a tribute; it was an awakening. As we united in the memory of Magnus White and pondered the statistics—two people die on Colorado roads every day—one question loomed large: What actions would demonstrate a solid commitment from the public to changing the current trends?

To answer that question, let’s hear Jill White, Magnus’ mother, who spoke at the event: “We know what killed Magnus, and we know the solutions.” The calls for change voiced at the rally—separated bike lanes, advanced crash detection systems, and tougher penalties for violators—could ultimately help prevent future incidents like Magnus’s.

It is also important that we consider the possibilities of rapid and effective countermeasures to combat the road fatalities that challenge our society. If Ride for Magnus were to become an annual event, it could be a powerful impetus to take measures that could combat road violence in a matter of weeks or months, rather than years.

As several speakers at Sunday’s rally noted, the Magnus case exposes deeper systemic failings contributing to the epidemic of road rage in our country—an epidemic that requires strategic, immediate, and powerful countermeasures. We need a tourniquet—or rather, a vaccine, immediate, and powerful. I encourage the incoming organizing committee and all of us who want to see improvement to align future calls for reform with the urgency of this public health crisis.

First, let’s identify and prioritize initiatives that can be implemented quickly. Many of the actions being called for now are far into the future. For example, when will the proposed legislative changes or infrastructure changes take effect? ​​Five years or 10? Many more lives will be lost in that time frame. In Colorado, waiting more than five years would likely mean 3,500 deaths, 700 of which would be pedestrians or cyclists. That’s like closing the barn door after most of the horses have already bolted.

Second, we need to deal with the fact that speed kills. Efforts to meaningfully address road violence must recognize a universal law of physics that is inherent to road safety: vehicle speed is a major contributor to fatalities. The outdated laws we use to design our roads support speeds that make the problem worse. Higher speeds and heavier cars, two trends sweeping the country, are making things worse.

Improving infrastructure – one of the key pillars highlighted at Sunday’s rally – points us in the right direction. Modern street designs have been proven to work by changing speeds and traffic patterns. They are widely used in progressive countries and they work. By changing street design, we can heal the familiar places in our communities that needlessly claim lives every day.