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“Road traffic injuries are a major but neglected global public health problem.”

World Health Organisation

Action Vision Zero helps communities campaign for safe roads and streets where people want to walk, cycle and spend time. Achieving a vision of zero fatal and serious road casualties is entirely possible in the long term, but requires a rethink of the balance between people and motor vehicles. This is critical, not just for our safety, but for social justice, increasing physical activity, reducing air pollution and slashing carbon emissions.

1,782 people were killed and 25,484 were reported to be seriously injured on UK roads in 2018. The majority of these victims were “vulnerable road users”, or those walking, cycling or riding motorcycles.

This level of death and serious injury would be a crisis in any other mode of transport or part of society. Unfortunately it has come to be accepted on our roads.

The Vision Zero concept, pioneered by Sweden in 1997, challenges the inevitability of road danger and puts human health at the centre of how we design and manage our roads and streets. It has since been adopted by cities including London, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm.

While it is easy to set Vision Zero ambitions, it has been much harder to deliver sustained results. Initial sharp declines in road fatalities following the introduction of Vision Zero policies in Sweden and New York have levelled off in recent years.

Action Vision Zero helps to take the concept to the next level in the UK. We do this by providing evidence, proven policy ideas and one-to-one support to communities, campaigners and elected representatives.

This is about reducing the impact of motor vehicles by demanding:

Slower speedsMaximum 20mph speed limits where people and vehicles mix and compliance with those limits.
Safe junctions & crossingsDirect crossings on desire lines with short waiting times and enough time to cross.
Safe space for cyclingProtected cycle lanes on main roads and low-traffic neighbourhoods.
Less traffic Fewer vehicles means fewer casualties. Achieving this requires more walking, cycling and public transport, more efficient and sustainable delivery of goods, and road user charging.
Safe vehiclesSpeed limiters on all new private cars; retrofitting speed limiters on all working vehicles; safe HGVs including Direct Vision Lorries and Bus Safety Standards.
Safe behaviours and enforcement An end to careless and dangerous driving. Education plays a role in achieving this, but clear and visible police enforcement is a priority.

We offer a wide range of resources and one-to-one help that is available free of charge. Please contact Jeremy and Emma from Action Vision Zero here.

Action Vision Zero is supported with funding from the Foundation for Integrated Transport.


Blog Feed

AVZ Briefing: Roads Policing and Vision Zero

September 2023 To download this briefing as a pdf click here Key points Action Vision Zero is not alone in thinking the police and traffic law enforcement is essential to with reducing road danger. Road safety strategies, including those based on Vision Zero and Safe Systems approach, expect risk of death and serious injury to …

AVZ Blog – Good practice in Northamptonshire with online reporting transparency

June 2023 To download this blog as a pdf click here Key points Northamptonshire Police and Operation Snap This blog highlights one recent month (April 2023) of online submissions in Northamptonshire.  With 161 submissions, this equates to seven per work day. It is good to see the data presented by which road user mode submitted. …