“We need to do something different and Vision Zero is the answer”

The Leeds Safe Roads Partnership has launched its Vision Zero strategy with the aim of eliminating road death and serious injury by 2040.

The strategy was launched on 20 October, with an event organised as part of this year’s Project EDWARD week of action.

It uses a ‘Safe System’ approach that considers all factors that could help to prevent fatal and serious road crashes.

Data shows that between 2017 and 2021, 93 people were killed and 1,562 seriously injured on Leeds’ roads.

The Leeds Safe Roads Partnership says behind each statistic, there is a personal tragedy: someone whose health has been impacted or life cut short, as well as families and loved ones traumatised and bereaved.

Cllr Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council executive member for infrastructure and climate, said: “We have a bold ambition; that by 2040 no one will be killed or suffer serious injuries on our roads. 

“We want Leeds to be a city where you don’t need a car to get around and where people feel safe to choose to walk, scoot, wheel, and cycle for their health and for the environment.”

The launch event features presentations from key organisations who offered input into the new Leeds Safe Roads Vision Zero 2040 Strategy – as well as from the Project EDWARD team.

Topics included technology to capture the illegal use of mobile phones, the use of mobile tyre scanning technology, how technology can help to prevent suicide on the Strategic Road Network, a summary of Operation SNAP and a presentation reflecting on 10 years of E-Call, a system used in vehicles that automatically makes a free 112 emergency call if a vehicle is involved in a serious road accident.

Alison Lowe OBE, the deputy mayor for policing and crime in West Yorkshire, said: “We need to do something different and Vision Zero is the answer. Ambitious as it may sound, we are going to throw everything at this to make it work.

“Road safety is a priority issue for our communities, and it has been for a long time.

“People should not face death or injury of any kind on our roads and that is what we’re working towards. A partnership approach, embedded in Leeds and in every district in West Yorkshire, will help us achieve this.”

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