The US transportation sector isn’t adapting quickly enough to the climate crisis by reducing emissions. A better adaptation strategy will require not only shifting how people move by getting them out of cars and onto bikes and public transportation, but also replacing the vehicle fleet with more efficient automobiles that are less reliant on fossil fuels.

Washington is the first city in the nation to propose a targeted charge by vehicle weight, but even that ambitious policy falls short of similar weight charges in other countries.

Here's how American states and cities can look to the French example for approaches to improve road safety.