A Swedish-Based Road Safety Plan is Coming to Toronto

January 7th, 2016  |  Canadian Business

After Toronto recorded the highest number of road fatalities in over a decade, the city was pressured to respond. Councillor Jaye Robinson announced on Wednesday that Toronto would adopt a Vision Zero-based road safety policy.

Vision Zero is an international traffic safety policy that began in Sweden almost twenty years ago -- it’s credited with lowering Sweden’s road deaths by almost 40%. Since its 1997 introduction, cities around the world have applied Vision Zero policies to its road plans. And Toronto may be next.

But the foundation of Vision Zero is a focus on safety over driving convenience. For a car-run urban centre like Toronto, how will a policy that could increase traffic congestion work? Metro Toronto says Robinson hasn’t revealed which Vision Zero principles Toronto will duplicate or adapt at this time.

Dylan Reid of Walk Toronto, a pedestrian advocacy group, is hopeful that a more comprehensive Vision Zero policy is coming to Toronto. He’s asking for road safety educational programs and lower speed limits. He’s also calling for enough budget to improve safety on the roads and in problem intersections.

A revised road safety plan is scheduled for later this year.

Image Courtesy of Adobe Stock