By Matts-Åke Belin, Swedish Transport Administration. Presented at Transforming Transportation, Washington, D.C. January 27, 2012.

1. Matts-Åke Belin
Swedish
Transport
Administration
matts-ake.belin@trafikverket.se
Vision Zero a road
safety policy
innovation
Transforming
Transportation, Washington
on 27th of January

2. VISION ZERO
• October 1997 the Swedish Parliament
passed a new bill on Road Traffic Safety
• long-term goal no one should be killed or
seriously injured as the result of an accident
within the road transport system
• the design and functioning of the road
transport system must be adapted to the
requirements resulting from this ruling.
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3. 3
200
400
800
600
0
1,200
1,400
1,000
2012-01-30
1943
1945
1947
1949
1951
1953
1955
1957
1959
1961
1963
1965
1967
1969
1971
1973
1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
1995
1997
1999
Killed in Road traffic in Sweden, 1943 - 2010
2001
2003
2005
2007
2009

4. Different policies and strategies
Traditional approach Vision Zero approach
Accidents Injuries
Individual road user behavior The system is not designed
according to human capability
and human tolerance against
external violence – in other
words what the human body
can stand.
Road user has primary System designer has primary
responsibility responsibility
Change individual road user Change the environment (road
behavior environment, vehicles, social
environment)
Risk reduction Eliminate fatalities and serious
injuries
Vision Zero – a road safety policy innovation DOI:10.1080/17457300.2011.635213
Matts-Åke Belin, Per Tillgren & Evert Vedung
Available online: 14 Dec 2011 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17457300.2011.635213
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5. 5 2012-01-30

6. Probability of Pedestrian Fatality by Impact Speed
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7. 7 2012-01-30

8. Number of km at year end
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2+1-road 180 450 680 950 1130 1300 1510 1770 1950 2120
ATC 10 230 270 590 950 950 1900 2440 2700 2950
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9. 600 Number
500
400
300
200
New intermediate
100 target
0
1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
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10. Focus on implementation- and innovation
processes
• Vision Zero has moved our interest from the individual
road users to those who design the road transport
system.
• Those who design the road transport system are public
and private organizations.
• The questions are therefore what shape a organization
and its norms and behaviors and how is it possible to
influence these norms and behaviors in an effective
way?
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11. Road safety policy and innovation processes
in the society
Socio-economic
structures
Policy making
Policy
implementation
Problem and Diffusion and Road safety
Research Adoption effects
needs/challenges
Commercialization
Business
planning
Time
External events
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12. 12 2012-01-30

13. Thank you!
matts-ake.belin@trafikverket.se
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