IS VISION ZERO REALISTIC

Vision Zero is a philosophy that refuses to acknowledge that deaths and serious injuries on roadways are inevitable and must be accepted. It bestows an absolute priority to road safety over mobility, economics, and all other considerations; and reassigns responsibility for road safety to highway designers and vehicle manufacturers. Increase in mobility evidenced by traffic volumes and speeds have placed significant demands on safety, and it is argued that the safety level offered by the road system falls short of the level of safety demanded, resulting in deaths and injuries to road users. The gap can be reduced by increasing the inherent safety of the road system through massive investment and increasing the operational safety through speed management, enforcement, and education. This paper addresses the intriguing question of whether the gap can be completely eliminated so that Vision Zero can become a reality. Opponents of Vision Zero argue that is sets unachievable targets and is too expensive to attain.