How to Improve Road Safety & Support Vision Zero

Vision Zero aims to achieve a highway and roads system with no fatalities or serious injuries. Although it sounds like a lofty goal, technology and emerging data make it more reachable now than ever before. Below we will talk more about how to improve Road Safety and Support Vision Zero. At Together for Safer Roads (TSR), we provide cities with the data and resources to help them get closer to their Vision Zero goal. 

Vision Zero is different from other road safety programs because the cities that take the pledge recognize the presence of human error. In order to make up for these gaps in human operation, other factors within the network of road users can be strengthened, such as retrofitting technology, reconfiguring the built environment and involving fleets that operate within the city. By acknowledging the presence of human error, leaders are better equipped to plan ahead and keep drivers safe. 

We work with cities to build out comprehensive Vision Zero plans and help connect the dots between the public and private sectors. We tap corporate partners to create innovative, scalable technology to measure changes in road user behavior, so cities can make smarter decisions when creating road safety action plans.

Why should cities incorporate private entities into their Vision Zero plan?

Generally, Vision Zero movements start within the public sector – a political leader in the city wants to make a statement about creating safer public spaces and they frequently look to others in the public space. 

• This public to public conversation then transforms once they involve citizens around their impact on road safety, such as drinking and driving or distracted driving.
• The critical piece that is missing in this equation are the businesses that are using the roads. Fleets use the road more often than the average citizen. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, individual fleet drivers nearly double the amount of miles traveled annually compared to the average consumer. By bringing fleet organizations to the table, cities can have a better conversation about how to make their roadways and communities safer. 
• We support both the public and private sectors in this plan by bridging the gaps as cities make safety improvements on the roads. When you include private entities, you are including a huge population of road users who use the roads as their workplace. 
• The inclusion of fleet drivers also creates a culture shift throughout the city. Drivers who practice safety at work will likely practice safety in their personal driving as well, and encourage it among their friends, family and community. 

Through strategic partnerships with municipalities, TSR and cities can help fleets and businesses join together to create safety on their roads. Our goal is to help empower these partnerships to implement best practices to show that change is possible, and then turn the established scalable model into city-wide Vision Zero plans. 

Vision Zero helps businesses improve roadways and safety culture:

Fleet operations want to have a positive reputation within the cities they operate. By being a part of this conversation, it allows the community and the company to thrive together.

• Having a seat at the table during the conversations around road safety shows that your organization cares about the safety and wellbeing of not only your employees, but the cities that you operate in. 
• Large fleet operations can also glean insights from Vision Zero cities on new safety data, as well as share the research and information you have collected as a fleet to create positive impacts locally, too. 
• TSR and Vision Zero can serve as resources for fleet operators and safety managers looking to elevate their culture of wellbeing for employees. 

How we are helping cities and fleets become community leaders and advocates for safety:

TSR helps bridge the divide between public initiatives and fleets so that all drivers are contributing to the safer roads movement.

• TSR allows fleets to reframe the narrative around fleet operations. By supporting Vision Zero and Road Safety ? working towards these goals with cities, fleets can demonstrate their intention to have a safe workplace for drivers and safe roads for the public. 
• TSR is helping cities as diverse as Houston, Bellevue, WA and New York City not only imagine a safer future, but take the necessary steps to make it a reality. 
• In Houston for example, after learning that 60% of the crashes happen on 6% of the road network, the City of Houston kicked off a project with TSR to utilize near-miss data to make infrastructure improvements that can transform the safety, socioeconomic and environmental dynamics of these roads.
• Bellevue, WA implemented a similar near-miss data analysis project, collecting 8.25 million road user observations and 20,000 conflict interactions in one week from their network of cameras. From this leading data and collaboration with TSR, the Bellevue City Council committed $4 million toward its Vision Zero goal. 

Overall, Together for Safer Roads exists as a resource to connect cities, fleets and communities. When each party is working toward a common goal, safer roads truly become a reality. Whether you are using the roads for work or for transportation, we all have a role to play in ensuring they are safe spaces for everyone.
Get involved now by reaching out to us and joining our mailing list: https://www.togetherforsaferroads.org/get-involved/