This is a HeadGum podcast. I don't know what to think

I don't know what to say

and that's all right

yeah that's okay

I don't know how it's.

Welcome to Fax, I'm Adam Conover, and you know, I kind of hesitate to say this while so much of my audience is behind the wheel

while they're listening to this, but did you know that it's more or less legal in America

to kill someone with your car? I mean, sure, if you're drunk or if you flee the scene

then there's a chance American justice will bring down the hammer but if you're

sober and you happen to mow down a cyclist small family family, or to Girl Scout through sheer negligence or just

driving like an asshole, you won't face much or any consequence.

Our legal system will shrug, say, hey, shit happens, and let you off on your merry way.

Great for you, bad for the person you just manslaughter, or woman slaughtered, or person slaughtered.

I am not exaggerating.

Negligent driving might be fatal fatal but it's almost never prosecuted.

In New York City driver mistakes were a factor in 70% of pedestrian deaths.

But until 2017 drivers were ticketed for less than 1% of crashes.

We're not talking prosecuted, just getting a ticket written up. And an investigation of

pedestrian deaths in Philadelphia found that only 16% resulted in any

felony charges.

And look, this is bizarre, right?

This is an entire category of ways people kill each other in America that almost never gets any legal attention whatsoever

...