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Vision Zero aims to eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by 2050
22/06/2022
£250,000 has been earmarked for prioritised project initiatives
Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet has made a commitment to Vision Zero – its plan to eliminate deaths and serious injuries due to road traffic collisions in the county. They agreed to the target at a meeting yesterday.
Until Vision Zero is achieved they have set interim targets of a 25 per cent cut in casualties by 2026 and a 50 per cent reduction by 2030. They hope to reach zero by 2050.
Vision Zero was first implemented in Sweden in the 1990s and has proved successful across many large European cities.
Although the total number of reported road casualties in Oxfordshire has fallen over the past 10 years, road deaths have remained unchanged, with an average of 25 per year. In recent years the annual average total of serious injuries in the county has been 210.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “Recent tragic incidents on our roads have focused everyone’s minds on the vital importance on making our roads and streets safer for all users – especially the most vulnerable.
“The adoption of a Vision Zero approach for Oxfordshire signals a clear ambition and commits the council to taking a new approach. But we can’t achieve this alone. It will require close working with partners and stakeholders to look at infrastructure, behaviour, technology and legislation to achieve this change.”
An initial sum of a £255,000 has been identified for the delivery of prioritised Vision Zero initiatives to support vulnerable road users.
The programme includes a number of different strands including speed management (in partnership with Thames Valley Police), good and fit for purpose new infrastructure, improvements for cyclists and road safety education and training. Wider improvement programmes are also included, such as rolling out 20mph limits in some areas.
Councillor Dan Levy, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cycling and Active Travel Champion, said: “As chair of the cycling safety working group, it is excellent to see words being translated into actions. Vision Zero is an aim of the cycling campaign groups we have been working with in the aftermath of these recent tragedies, and its successful implementation will be our commitment to the memory of the cyclists who have lost their lives.
“There is a lot we can do that won’t cost additional money, by making sure that all new highways work is done taking account of our commitment to cycling and walking.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam