Cities in the Vision Zero Challenge identified lack of political leadership as the greatest barrier to implementing a Vision Zero road safety plan. Photo by WRI Ross Center
Since its beginning in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has become a global movement to prevent road fatalities and serious injuries by undertaking a Safe System approach to road safety. But despite the documented successes of the approach in reducing injuries and deaths, many of the world’s roads have continued to get more dangerous, year after year. Why? More vehicles on streets and more people in cities are big components, but there’s also a frustrating gap between public commitment to Vision Zero and actions to make that commitment a reality.