Vision Zero describes a road safety approach that focuses on eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries. There is growing interest in this approach, both in the U.S. and internationally. This webinar will provide an overview of Vision Zero implementation efforts in Sweden.

Sweden has a long tradition of systematic road safety work, of considering road traffic injuries as a public health problem, and of addressing these issues at the national government level. In October 1997, the Swedish Parliament formally adopted Vision Zero as a new long-term goal and direction in road traffic safety work. Vision Zero aims influence road safety work at all levels: guiding direct efforts to make the infrastructure safer, as well as indirectly influencing the institutional preconditions and approaches (culture) that encourage ongoing action by stakeholders to increase the safety of the road transport system. Vision Zero differs from a more traditional road safety policy with regard to problem formulation, its view on responsibility, its requirements for the safety of road users, and the ultimate objective of road safety work. This presentation will provide an overview of the tenets of Vision Zero, summarize the implementation efforts in Sweden, and discuss potential relevance to U.S. efforts.   

There is a paradigm shift going on in The Netherlands. New vehicles are fighting for their place on the streets, cycle lanes are overflowing, pedestrians are undervalued. To cope with these pressures, it is important to re-evaluate the importance of place, and the role of specific streets in the wider network. This new approach includes a new way of thinking about traffic safety and the value of place. The shift in rationale from a transport focused to a place focused approach seems to have better outcomes for both transport and place functions of the street. This study can be adapted to fit the North American context.