Vision Zero in EU Policy: An NGO Perspective

Abstract

This chapter documents the roots of Vision Zero in EU road safety policymaking and is written from the perspective of the European Transport Safety Council, an NGO that has been deeply engaged in the topic for more than 25 years, from the very beginning of EU road safety policy in the mid-1980s to its first adoption in 2011 and on to the present day. The chapter shows that the Vision Zero approach is now integrated into the new EU road safety strategy. The presence of elements of Vision Zero during the different timeframes is presented. These include ethics, shared responsibility, the philosophy of building a system which allows for error and, finally, creating a mechanism for change. The current EU road safety strategy, which adopts these elements, is reviewed in more detail. More recent implementation is illustrated by references to Vision Zero within two recent, important pieces of road safety legislation, on infrastructure and vehicle safety.This chapter is written by ETSC and based on the organization’s interest and key role in the discussions. It refers to EU official documents going back to 1984, ETSC’s own reports and the institutional experience of ETSC and of the two authors. Despite every effort being made to be as objective as possible, the chapter is written from the perspectives of two active participants in the discussions and is therefore not a truly independent account. However, it is hoped that the material presented is useful nonetheless.