Sweden’s Vision Zero Aims at Zero Traffic Death

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Matt Flegenheimer, De Blasio Looks Toward Sweden for Road Safety; Tailoring policies to a goal of eradicating all traffic deaths and serious injuries. New York Times, May 13, 2014 (front page).
www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/nyreg ... or-road-safety.html

Quote:

“Pillars of the Swedish model include the reduction of default speed limits and the expansion of automated enforcement. Each requires the approval of state lawmakers in New York [state, as opposed to the New York city council], who have yet to embrace the ideas widely. Roundabouts, a major traffic tool in Sweden, are difficult to imagine on the high-density streets of Manhattan, transportation experts say.

“In New York, the addition of planters and lawn chairs along pedestrian plazas drew snickers. In Sweden, potted vegetation is a traffic tool, placed on local roads to slow down drivers on straightaways.

“While Sweden’s [not Stockholm’s] population — more than 9.5 million — is only slightly larger than New York’s, the country has imposed sweeping reforms involving road construction, pedestrian protections and other policies with relatively little conflict. The Swedish Parliament adopted Vision Zero in 1997 [‘Zero. It is the number of people permitted to die in Swedish traffic, according to national law.’]

“Last year [in Sweden], 264 people were killed, less than half the number in 1997. The fatality rate in Stockholm, 1.1 deaths per 100,000, is less than one-third of New York City’s rate. The national rate, 2.7 deaths per 100,000, is the lowest in the world, according to transportation officials.

“On many city streets, the speed limit has dipped below 20 miles per hour. In suburban areas, median barriers have proliferated, separating two-way traffic on high-speed corridors. Officials say the barriers and roundabouts have in fact increased the potential for crashes, vehicle damage and minor injuries for some users. The trade-off: The sight of serious crashes at these locations has all but disappeared. In a departure from most American traffic safety approaches, including New York City’s, Swedish authorities have generally dismissed the effects of education or enforcement on pedestrian safety. They were critical of the blitz of jaywalking tickets during Mr. de Blasio’s early months in office

Note:
(a) straightaway (n)
www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/straightaway
(b) Stockholm’s population (city, not metro) as of Dec 31, 2012 was 881,235. Wikipedia