At the recent RoadTrace webinar, I had the opportunity to speak on a subject that’s incredibly close to my heart: Vision Zero and the urgent need to change our approach to road safety. Traditionally, we’ve relied on casualty data to identify high-risk locations, meaning that action is often only taken after people are killed or seriously injured. This reactive approach has kept road safety figures stagnant for over a decade, despite advances in technology and data.
In my presentation, I highlighted the human cost behind every casualty report – each statistic representing real people and families profoundly affected by road crashes. In the UK, road crashes claim more lives each year than murder and terrorism combined, and road traffic injuries remain the leading cause of death for young people aged 5–29 worldwide, according to the WHO.
The most recent road casualty data for Great Britain in 2023 reflects this ongoing stagnation, underscoring that we must do things differently if we are to stop Vision Zero ambitions from becoming empty promises. While we’ve seen authorities worldwide commit to Vision Zero – the ambition to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries – achieving this goal demands a shift from reactive to proactive approaches.
RoadTrace’s predictive data system allows us to pinpoint potential high-risk locations by identifying patterns like harsh braking before crashes occur. By moving to a proactive approach, we not only send a strong message that we are doing everything possible to prevent road harm but also encourage everyone – whether drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians – to play their part in achieving Vision Zero.
I ended the presentation with a question that resonates deeply: "Have we reached a point where waiting for crashes to occur is no longer necessary or acceptable?" For me, the answer is a resounding yes. At Vision Zero Communications, I’m more committed than ever to championing life-saving, proactive measures to make our roads safer for everyone. Now is the time for change.
Watch the webinar here 👇
