The traditional approach to transportation safety assumes that traffic deaths are inevitable and relies on perfect human behavior for safe outcomes. The traditional approach assumes that it is expensive to save lives, which requires large-scale projects or efforts. Traditional approaches to transportation safety typically focus on reducing or preventing collisions, regardless of severity.
Vision Zero focuses on preventing fatalities and injuries – not collisions in general. A Vision Zero safety approach considers transportation-related serious injuries or deaths as preventable and integrates human failings into the approach to traffic management (i.e., assume that people make mistakes when driving, walking, and cycling).
Applying the Vision Zero approach, Arlington County will collect and analyze data/experiences related to transportation safety to identify problems on a systemic level, prioritize resources, and implement changes—both big and small—to address safety issues before they cause harm. The multi-disciplinary approach may require changes to a range of County policies and procedures as well as changes to the built environment.