State & Local Government Policy, Business and Technology

Can Better Data Make Zero Traffic Deaths a Reality?

Data-Smart City Solutions: How many traffic fatalities is too many? If you’re a Vision Zero city, the answer is one.

Started in Sweden in 1997 with the goal of eliminating fatalities and severe injuries from traffic collisions, the Vision Zero initiative has since spread to more than 25 U.S. cities. These cities have committed themselves to eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries and have put in place local Vision Zero plans that establish a strategy for doing so.

These Vision Zero plans all contain two essential elements. For one, all Vision Zero cities acknowledge that traffic deaths are preventable and set the goal of eliminating fatalities in a set timeframe with clear, measurable strategies. Second, these plans embrace a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together a diverse set of stakeholders to address the problem.

Read article