A new report from DEKRA, the German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association, shows that the aim of zero traffic accident-related fatalities, ‘Vision Zero’, has already been reached in hundreds of cities across Europe.
An assessment of the accident statistics for 17 European countries from 2009 to 2012 by DEKRA Accident Research shows that a total of 462 towns and cities with over 50,000 inhabitants achieved a total of zero at least once in this period. These cities make up more than 40% of all the cities of that size in the countries examined. A total of 16 cities recorded no traffic fatalities throughout the entire 2009-2012 study period; one in Norway, six in Germany and nine in the UK. Of the cities with over 100,000 inhabitants, a total of 88 (23.7%) achieved ‘Vision Zero’ in at least one year, including three cities with a population over 200,000: Espoo, Finland; Aachen, Germany; and Nottingham, UK.
“These figures show that ‘Vision Zero’ is not an illusion”, said Clemens Klinke, a member of the DEKRA management board and head of its automotive business unit. “Of course, it has not yet been completely turned into reality. However, the assessment shows that the goal can be achieved within an urban context and has already been achieved in many cities across Europe. All the more we have to continue the effort to improve road safety and move closer to reaching the aim of ‘Vision Zero’; also with respect to severe injuries. In urban traffic, the strongest, that is trucks, buses and cars, come up against the weakest, namely pedestrians and cyclists. Tram and light rail systems are also part of the mix. All this leads to a wide range of traffic situations and very specific risks. In view of the predictions that towns and cities will continue to grow, resulting in increased urban traffic, all available optimisation opportunities in terms of traffic safety in urban areas have to be used. More cooperative coexistence in road traffic is absolutely essential. Too often, insufficient risk awareness, too little consideration and sometimes also aggression are the causes of accidents that result in injury and damage.”
