Vision Zero is a traffic safety initiative that first began in Sweden during the 1990s. It became famous in America after New York City adopted its own version of the Vision Zero program that brought noteworthy traffic safety improvements with it. Recently, the initiative has come to cities in Pennsylvania, including Vision Zero Lancaster.
Every Vision Zero program is unique to each city that adopts it because every city has unique traffic layouts, populations, and related challenges. For the Vision Zero Lancaster Action Plan, the goal is to eliminate all traffic deaths and severe injuries by 2030. With only ten years to make that ideal a reality, there is a lot of work to do. How will Vision Zero Lancaster make it happen?
Vision Zero Lancaster is built on five nontraditional safety concepts:
- Traffic deaths are preventable: In the past, roadway safety groups have often remarked that there will “always be” fatal car accidents. Vision Zero Lancaster challenges that grim concession by arguing that all traffic deaths can be prevented with enough care, planning, and initiative.
- Integrate human failing into approach: To create a realistic traffic safety plan, it is important to accept that human error can and will come into play now and then. It is impossible to perfect human behavior, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible to prevent traffic deaths.
- Prevent fatal and severe crashes: The initial focus of Vision Zero Lancaster is to prevent fatal and severe crashes in particular. Ideally, all motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian accidents will be prevented one day, but the initiative is starting with the severe accidents. In taking measures to stop fatal accidents, those same measures will also help prevent nonfatal or nonserious crashes.
- Systems approach: Many safety organizations emphasize that traffic safety is each person’s individual responsibility. Through Vision Zero Lancaster, the initiative acknowledges that the greatest improvements to public safety come from entire systems and collectives, like a local department of transportation, community groups, and so on.
- Saving lives is not expensive: Lastly, Vision Zero Lancaster wants to reinforce that saving lives is never expensive. Even if considerable resources are spent upfront to stop traffic accidents, there will be an amazing payoff. Traffic fatalities are fiscally expensive and emotionally draining. Stopping them will preserve community finances and happiness.
How You Can Help Vision Zero Lancaster
To be successful, Vision Zero Lancaster requires resources, volunteers, and, at its core, data. Creating the best traffic and pedestrian safety improvements throughout the City of Lancaster requires an in-depth understanding of where accidents tend to occur and why. Currently, data collection and analysis is in progress by professionals working alongside the Traffic Commission. But you can help make Vision Zero Lancaster a reality, too.
Four ways you can make Lancaster safer for everyone on its roads are:
- Learn: You can click here to learn more about Vision Zero Lancaster by reading its overview, which includes crash data.
- Research: If you are interested in the actionable ideas Vision Zero Lancaster is considering, you can click here. The plans are sorted by cost.
- Discuss: Vision Zero Lancaster accepts survey feedback from locals. If you want to discuss an idea you have to help improve traffic safety in the city, click here.
- Share: Spreading the word about Vision Zero Lancaster is a free way to make more people aware of the initiative and the serious problem it is trying to solve. We encourage you to share this blog with friends, family, and coworkers.
At Metzger Wickersham, we have high hopes for Vision Zero Lancaster and look forward to the traffic safety improvements it can bring to our city. As pedestrian accident and car accident attorneys, we have helped so many clients who have been hurt or lost a loved one due to an accident that could have been preventable. We hope this initiative will protect more people in our communities. Although, if you have been hurt in a traffic accident, please remember that you can contact us for legal support. Dial (888) 286-2850 at any hour – we accept calls 24/7.
