It’s not just speed that kills. New research recognises the danger of all traffic on our streets. – Action Vision Zero

by Jeremy Leach and Emma Griffin

The news that not one pedestrian or person cycling died on Oslo’s streets in 2019 came as a jolt to the countries and cities struggling to meet Vision Zero targets. 
Last year, 130 people died on London’s streets including 71 pedestrians and five cyclists, according to TfL’s provisional figures. This January, in Peckham alone, three people were killed in road collisions. The UK was also one of only three European nations where pedestrian casualties rose in last decade, according to European Transport Safety Council.
So what is Oslo (and Norway that adopted Vision Zero in 1999) doing that’s so different? Is there a link between Oslo’s commitment to go car free and this fall in fatalities? 
New research suggests there is. Action Vision Zero has been exploring a report by Todd Litman, from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute, that concludes that all motor traffic exposes people to danger. This means that road safety policies must do more than tackle dangerous driving and include actions for traffic reduction, such as road pricing. In doing so, Vision Zero is not just about solving road danger, but also our air quality, climate change and inactivity crises.