Reducing Traffic Fatalities And Injuries Through Vision Zero
Friday, March 4th, 2022 AutoLocal governments in the United States in recent years have begun adopting ‘Vision Zero’ policies, which aim at cutting roadway fatalities to zero. Such policies - which have demonstrated success abroad - have drawn even more interest since the onset of the pandemic, during which traffic fatalities and injuries have surged.
The Vision Zero Network is a nonprofit focused on helping local governments implement the Vision Zero plan. First implemented in Sweden in 1997, that country has seen its traffic fatalities halved, inspiring other governments to adopt similar measures.
Vision Zero is also becoming an initiative for the entire European Union.
More than 40 communities across the United States have adopted these policies, including major metropolitan areas like New York City, Los Angeles, and Portland, Ore.
In Portland, several data points are helping government officials better understand how to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries, including a high percentage of pedestrian crashes occurring because of long distances between marked crossings.
