Vision Zero is an approach to traffic safety, with an ultimate goal of ending traffic deaths and serious injuries. The idea began in Sweden in the 1990s, where they adopted it as national policy. At the core of Vision Zero is the belief that death and injury on city streets is preventable. For the most part, these aren’t “accidents.” Collisions are often the result of poor behaviors and unforgiving roadway designs. So we must approach the problem from multiple angles – street designs that emphasize safety, predictability, and the potential for human error, coupled with targeted education and data-driven enforcement efforts.
