Vision Zero: A New Way of Thinking

Attendees at the 2004 ITS (Intelligent Transportation Society of America) annual meeting were challenged to embrace a different philosophy about highway safety, when Dr. Ricardo Martinez, an emergency physician and former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) introduced Vision Zero—a concept of “zero fatalities, zero delays.” Vision Zero calls for elimination of surface transportation fatalities, injuries and delays through the use of technology and improved system design.

According to ITS figures, the transport system generates more than 42,000 traffic-related deaths and three million injuries in the United States each year. Road safety has become the fastest growing health burden on our global society, but has been neglected as a health issue until recently. The World Health Organization (WHO) is now addressing road safety through special awareness initiatives.

There are three opportunities for transportation system designers, Dr. Martinez told attendees: to prevent crashes; if a crash does occur, to prevent injury; and, if injury occurs, to prevent death.

The ITS America Zero Fatalities vision means that no deaths are considered acceptable. By focusing first on safety and eliminating injury, system designers can use intelligent transportation technologies to make the zero fatalities vision a reality.

Using work zone delays as an example, John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials presented several applications of ITS technologies and other initiatives making significant improvements in delay reduction, such as increasing the number of variable message signs, scheduling more work to take place at night, using improved repair materials and technology, and incentive contracting. Only half of roadway delays are due to volume and capacity, said Horsley. The other half can be addressed through improved system design.

ITS’ roadmap includes establishing the ITS America commitment with key organizations, agencies and legislators. The plan is to develop a coalition to create a movement of like-minded organizations developing the information, resources and tools that will move transportation design to the next level.

—MN