Vision Zero UK, a new road safety campaign lobbying for the adoption of a zero deaths or serious injuries road safety target, will launch with a conference in London early next year.
Founded by Anna Semlyen, campaign manager for 20’s Plenty for Us, and Prof John Whitelegg Vision Zero UK argues that “no one need be killed or be seriously injured on the UK’s roads, and that ‘there isn’t anyone who wouldn’t be missed’.
The campaign website says Vision Zero UK will lobby local authorities for a vision zero policy – “total systems prevention of road death or serious injury”. It describes local authority councillors are its “key targets to influence…because they listen to local residents”.
Vision Zero was first introduced in Sweden in 1997 and during the period 2000-2009 road deaths in the country halved.
Vision Zero UK says that in the UK since 2009, KSI casualties have fallen fastest in Northern Ireland, Scotland and London – which, unlike England (other than TfL), have “road safety targets, detailed strategies and dedicated resources”.
The conference to launch the campaign will be held at Camden Town Hall on 19 January 2016. Confirmed speakers including Anders Lie, Swedish road safety specialist, David Davies, director of PACTS and Martin Heath, road safety team manager, Brighton & Hove City Council and as well as the two Vision Zero founders.
Click here to find more information and details of how to book a place at the conference.
What do Vision Zero have in mind to achieve zero deaths and injuries – anything new? They seem to think local councillors may be the key.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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If “Vision Zero” is ever to be realised, we need to know what effect interventions are having, and that requires the evidence-led approach that only scientific trials can offer.
There does appear to be, as Anna Semlyen of 20sP states, no shortages of strategies and resources but there is little or no good evidence of what effect each is having. The lives of those we act for depend not upon action, but on action that is effective. So let’s start implementing the first ever scientific trials and start the process of reducing deaths to zero.
Dave Finney, Slough
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