Vision Zero

Vision Zero is a multi-national road traffic safety project that aims to achieve a highway system with no fatalities or serious injuries involving road traffic. It started in Sweden and was approved by their parliament in October 1997. A core principle of the Vision Zero project is that 'Life and health can never be exchanged for other benefits within the society' as opposed to the more conventional comparison between costs and benefits, where a monetary value is placed on life and health, and then that value is used to decide how much money to spend on a road network towards the benefit of decreasing how much risk.

Origins

The Vision Zero initiative was pioneered in Sweden by Claes Tingvall and Mats Belin in 1997. The Swedish approach to road safety differs from traditional methods: instead of attempting to prevent all accidents, it aims to make accidents non-lethal. This is achieved through a variety of means, such as improving the design of roadways and vehicles, implementing stricter traffic laws, and promoting safer driving behaviors.

Principles

The Vision Zero philosophy is based on four principles:

1. Ethics: Human life and health are paramount and take priority over mobility and other objectives of the road traffic system.
2. Responsibility: Providers and regulators of the road traffic system share responsibility with users.
3. Safety: Road traffic systems should take account of human fallibility and minimize both the opportunities for errors and the harm done when they occur.
4. Mechanisms for change: Providers and regulators must do their utmost to guarantee the safety of all citizens; they must cooperate with road users; and all three must be prepared to change to achieve safety.

Implementation

Since its inception in Sweden, Vision Zero has been adopted in various forms by countries around the world, including Norway, Canada, and the United States. In the U.S., cities such as New York City and San Francisco have implemented Vision Zero policies with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Criticism

While Vision Zero has been praised for its ambitious goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries, it has also been criticized. Some argue that the initiative places too much responsibility on drivers and not enough on city planners and vehicle manufacturers. Others believe that the goal of zero traffic fatalities is unrealistic.

See also

• Road traffic safety
• Traffic collision
• Sustainable safety