Vision Zero Road Safety Policy (Sweden)
Vision Zero, adopted by Sweden's Parliament in 1997, fundamentally shifted road safety philosophy from blaming individual users to designing systems that accommodate human error. The ethical principle holds that "life and health can never be exchanged for other benefits." Implementation includes 2+1 roads with central barriers, roundabouts replacing intersections, 30 km/h urban speed limits, and vehicle safety investments. Since adoption, Swedish traffic fatalities have more than halved despite increased traffic. The approach influenced policies globally, including New York City's Vision Zero and the OECD Safe System Approach.
Theme Areas
Behavior Goal
Shift responsibility from road users to system designers; design infrastructure that prevents fatal outcomes from human errors; establish safety as non-negotiable priority over speed
Target Audiences
Methods & Approaches
Implementers & Partners
- Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket)
- Swedish Government
Donors & Sponsors
- Government of Sweden
Key Takeaways
- 1Ethical framing makes safety a moral imperative, not cost-benefit calculation
- 2System designers (roads, vehicles) share responsibility with users
- 3Infrastructure design can accommodate inevitable human errors
- 4Speed management is fundamental - lower speeds reduce fatality risk exponentially
- 5Multi-stakeholder collaboration (government, industry, researchers) essential