Vehicle safety

Today we have the knowledge and the means to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in urban streets, and to greatly improve the quality of life and health of our citizens. Traffic safety is a global problem in which cities have a crucial role to play. Adopting a ‘Vision Zero’ approach requires political leadership, strategic clarity and decisive action, as well as the ownership of all involved – elected officials, transport professionals and citizens. POLIS recognizes cities and regions central role in the development of effective solutions and the adoption of principles that can make Vision Zero a reality. 

Through the Safety and Security Working group, POLIS joins and supports local authorities, cities and regions to address how to make urban mobility networks safe for all users. More information about the Safety and Security Working Group here. 

The topics being discussed in this Working Group are:

• The New Paradigm for Safe City Streets 
• The Safe System and the Vision Zero approaches
• Speed management and Traffic Calming principles, methods, strategies, and solutions;
• The convergence of policies, strategies, and solutions for safe, sustainable, and affordable mobility (e.g., low traffic neighbourhoods, safe cycling networks, school zones, shared spaces, walkable mobility hubs, 30 kph Zones)
• Data collection, analysis, and applications, including quantitative data on (past) crashes and near misses, and qualitative data for (proactive) assessment of network safety
• Capacity building for key stakeholders at the political, technical and advocacy levels
• Improvements in vehicle design (e.g., direct vision for trucks) and performance (e.g., Intelligent Speed Assistance Systems and Autonomous Vehicles)
• Technological innovation to improve enforcement (e.g., speed cameras) and infrastructure safety (from high to low-tech solutions).

For further information, please contact Pedro Homem de Gouveia.