Vision Zero is a global movement to end traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries by taking a systemic approach to road safety. The premise of this strategy is that road deaths and injuries are unacceptable and preventable.

First implemented as the national road policy in Sweden in 1997, Vision Zero has now been adopted by more than 20 cities around the world.

Underlying the Vision Zero strategy is the Safe System – a holistic safety approach that shifts responsibility from the people using roads to the people designing them, integrating core management and action areas to create a safe mobility system forgiving of human error. The structure of an effective Vision Zero strategy embodies the Safe System approach. As the policy concept of Vision Zero gains traction, cities must ensure that the Safe System’s key principles and action areas are applied to each new context, considered holistically both in policy documents and practical implementation as cities develop their road safety strategies.

Understanding the Safe System Approach

Everyone involved in the transport system – from engineers and planners to lawmakers and police officers – shares responsibility with road users for designing a road system that does not allow human error to have a serious or fatal outcome.

The Safe System’s integrated action areas help build a mobility network that improves safety for all while also fostering healthier, more equitable and more sustainable communities. In addition to prioritizing comprehensive speed management and safe street design, other action areas for reducing risk of crashes include proactive land use and mobility planning along with public transport improvements, to lessen dependence on private vehicles and promote safe, low-carbon, active and accessible transport for all. These areas all complement the more traditional features of a road safety strategy such as enforcement, vehicle safety, emergency response and education.

Principles, Core Elements and Action Areas of the Safe System Approach