NEW - Vision Zero

Vision Zero

First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero represents a paradigm shift in strategy to address transportation safety. The core concept behind Vision Zero is the fact that humans make mistakes and that the road system should be designed to account for those mistakes to prevent loss of life. Vision Zero is a strategy that seeks to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all.

A Vision Zero city meets the following minimum criteria:

A clear goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and severe injuries has been set.
The Mayor has publicly, officially committed to Vision Zero.
A Vision Zero plan or strategy is in place, or the Mayor has committed to doing so in clear time frame.
Key city departments (including police, transportation and public health) are engaged.

"There's no one someone won't miss."
-Transport Accident Commission Victoria

Want to Bring Vision Zero to Your Community?

Vision zero model resolution

The SPC has developed a model Vision Zero resolution that can be applied to every municipality in the region.

Local Efforts

In 2024, the City of Pittsburgh adopted Vision Zero and committed to a future where "no one dies or is seriously injured traveling on city streets".

The city will achieve this through several immediate actions:

Establish an interdepartmental working group
Form a fatal crash response group
Prioritize capital project solutions and low-cost effective countermeasures
Use a High Injury Network Map to prioritize work

High Injury Networks

High Injury Networks (HIN) identify roadway segments with high frequencies of fatal and serious injury crashes while also considering demographic and health equity factors. HINs are commonly used to achieve Vision Zero goals by giving communities a data-driven approach to prioritize locations for safety improvements.

For its Regional Safety Action Plan, the SPC developed a HIN for the 10-County Region. Click on the map to the right to learn more.

If your community would like a High Injury Network Map to assist in the adoption or implementation of a Vision Zero Resolution, reach out to __________ at the SPC.

request high injury network map

Toward Zero Deaths

Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) is the National Strategy on Highway Safety that brings together stakeholders by defining the common vision to drive individual and collaborative efforts to improve highway safety.

PennDOT adopted TZD in 2012 and began incorporating it into its annual PA Strategic Highway Safety Plan. In 2017, SPC adopted the PennDOT safety targets that reflect the 2017 Strategic Highway Safety Plan goal of reducing fatalities and serious injuries by 2% annually.

Road to Zero

Road to Zero Coalition (RTZ) aims to end roadway deaths in the United States by 2050. The coalition is the nation's largest traffic safety alliance and represents a variety of critical voices. RTZ promotes the Safe Systems Approach to prevent roadway deaths.

RTZ's mission is outlined in their report The Road to Zero: A Vision for Achieving Zero Roadway Deaths by 2050. The coalition also offers Community Traffic Safety Grants which enable communities to complete safety projects.