"As someone who's worked in the transportation industry for more than 25 years, I come at this topic as an insider. You may have heard the term "Vision Zero" in local political campaigns or public safety PSAs. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all severe crashes. It's not just a marketing campaign, it's an approach to road safety that begins with this basic understanding: Severe motor vehicle crashes are preventable."
"Every day, another 100 families are grieving the loss of a loved one. Every day, thousands of families are dealing with medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work, loss of mobility. Vision Zero is the strategy to end this pain and suffering. It's a wildly different approach from the status quo in two major ways:"
"First, people make mistakes. A transportation system needs to be designed so that when people do make mistakes, it doesn't result in a death or serious injury. Second, safety is multidisciplinary. People are influenced by more than just street design. In Richmond, Virginia, 1 in 12 residents is dealing with a combination of substance abuse and mental health disorders. And then they get behind the wheel of a car."
World Day of Remembrance highlights the human cost of traffic crashes and the daily impact on families, including grief, medical bills, therapy, lost work, and reduced mobility. Vision Zero is presented as a strategy aimed at eliminating severe crashes by treating them as preventable rather than inevitable. The approach emphasizes system design that tolerates human error so mistakes do not cause death or serious injury. Vision Zero also recognizes that safety requires multidisciplinary action, addressing influences beyond street design, such as substance abuse and mental health, to reduce crash risk and save lives.
Read at Fast Company
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