Rainbow Crosswalks May Lead to More Children Being Hit by Cars, Says Local Lawyer

As a car accident lawyer, I’ve seen firsthand what happens when people are hit by cars. The injuries are brutal, the trauma lasts for years, and in the case of children, the outcomes can be permanently life-altering. I’m speaking up because one trend I see spreading across cities is not just questionable — it’s potentially dangerous: rainbow-colored crosswalks.

At first glance, they’re festive and celebratory. They signal inclusion, pride, and support for LGBTQ+ communities. But in practice, these bright, multi-colored designs may be unintentionally putting people — especially kids — at risk. And I’m not saying this as a political statement. I’m saying it as someone who works with the consequences of pedestrian injuries every day.

Let’s start with basic child psychology. Studies show that young children are impulsive by nature. Their brains are still developing executive function — that’s the part that tells you to stop, wait, think. They’re easily distracted and prone to darting into the street without warning. Pair that with research showing that children are naturally attracted to bright, saturated colors — especially in mixed “rainbow” patterns — and you have a problem. A child sees a bright, colorful pattern stretching across the road and interprets it as playful, inviting, maybe even meant for them. The temptation to run toward it can be almost instinctive.

This isn’t just theoretical. In Northampton, Massachusetts — one of the early adopters of rainbow crosswalks — a child was reportedly struck in a rainbow-colored crosswalk. That alone should give city planners pause. It’s a real-world reminder that when design choices are made based on symbolism rather than safety, there can be unintended consequences.

From a traffic engineering standpoint, these crosswalks also violate standard safety guidelines. Federal and international protocols for traffic control devices, including the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), consistently emphasize that crosswalk markings must be high-contrast — usually white bars on black or gray asphalt — for a reason. That reason is visibility and predictability. When you introduce bright, non-standard color palettes into road markings, you risk confusing both drivers and pedestrians. You reduce contrast, especially in low-light or rainy conditions. And you make it harder for everyone to understand at a glance where people are supposed to be walking and where cars are supposed to yield. The point of crosswalks isn’t artistic expression. It’s saving lives.

Even LGBTQ+ voices are calling out the impracticality of these installations. The queer publication WUSSY Magazine published a now-infamous piece criticizing rainbow crosswalks as hollow, performative gestures. The article mocked Atlanta’s rainbow walkways, sarcastically praising the city for spending over $44,000 to paint crosswalks for one weekend instead of, say, housing LGBTQ+ teens or addressing violence against trans women. “What kind of gay city would we be if we didn’t follow the same tacky trend of all these other cities?” it says, followed by a brutal observation: “BUT GOSH YOU GUYS, AT LEAST WE HAVE RAINBOW CROSSWALKS. FOR ONE FUCKING WEEKEND.”

That’s the heart of it. These crosswalks don’t do anything tangible to help the LGBTQ+ community. They don’t reduce hate crimes. They don’t house teens. They don’t increase access to healthcare. They don’t make streets safer. They just look good on social media and in press releases.

And when you weigh that against the very real risks — distracted kids, distracted drivers, and non-standard visual cues that interfere with pedestrian safety — the question becomes, is it worth it?

These rainbow crosswalks have little practical value. They don’t help the gays. They don’t make roads safer. But they are pretty to look at.

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