Vision Zero is the international ambition to reach no deaths or serious injuries involving road traffic.
The World Health Organisation (WHO), The United Nations, and the European Commission have declared a Decade of Action for Road Safety, with the aim of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. This would see over 675,000 lives saved globally.
Action Plans prominently feature speed management as a key intervention. This year, the 6th UN Global Road Safety Week (taking place 17-23 May 2021) is centred on a campaign called 'Streets for Life', urging policymakers worldwide to adopt low speed streets, limiting speeds to 30 km/h (20 mph) where people walk, live and play. You can read more about the campaign here and download assets to participate.
Over the coming weeks, TRL will be showcasing some of our key work supporting road safety interventions. We will share insights, opinions, success stories, and practical things for communities to do to make their streets safer. Most of our examples will be for the UK, but the Safe Systems approach is a universal strategy. TRL contributed to the development of the six Safe Systems Pillars, and regularly works with policymakers in the Global South on implementing an holistic plan to achieve sustainable reductions in road deaths and serious injuries.
In anticipation of Global Road Safety Week, we've been reviewing the targets set to reduce the loss of life.
There's quite a journey ahead of us; the good news is that we can all make a difference and play our part. Be a #HeroforZero.
