Vision Zero

This paper outlines the Swedish approach to road safety as set out in the Vision Zero concept. The long-term goal of this is that no-one will be killed or seriously injured within the Swedish road transport system. The Vision Zero approach alters the emphasis to concentrating on how the system as a whole can operate safely, and to eliminating the health impairment caused by traffic accidents rather than simply reducing the number of accidents. The system designer remains responsible for the level of safety within the system, and if road users fail to follow the rules, the system designer has to modify the system further. Operational principles are: not allowing road traffic to produce more health risks than other transport modes; and viewing serious health loss due to traffic accidents as unacceptable. In the next ten years, it should be possible to reduce the number of fatalities by between one quarter and one third. For the covering abstract see ITRD E118917.