Have you ever heard of Vision Zero? Unfortunately, many key stakeholders in the transportation industry are still unaware of the sweeping international movement striving to dramatically improve traffic health and safety for everyone. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero policies have been introduced to Canada, India, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and now in the United States in an attempt to completely eliminate traffic deaths. But just why is Vision Zero growing in popularity so rapidly?
The answer lies within hard numerical data. Since 1997, Sweden has seen a 53% decrease in fatalities on their roads. Likewise, Canada has seen a 41% decrease in traffic fatalities. Vision Zero is proven to increase traffic safety, and this can be attributed to the vision’s core ethical principles.
But what about Vision Zero for the Work Zones on our roadways? In order to keep our infrastructure up and running, new construction and maintenance activities are a regular part of our drivers’ daily experiences. Lane closures, detours, flaggers, and different warning signs creating unanticipated and unusual driving conditions – if not executed properly – may result in accidents.
Unfortunately, the past data does not support the idea of achieving Vision Zero for our Work Zones so far. Here are the numbers for 2018:
What role can our industry play so that these vital construction and maintenance activities can be carried out without posing any additional threat to our drivers, workers, and property? Are there any innovative ways through which we can help our communities achieve Vision Zero goals?
ConeIQ concurs with Vision Zero goals for our roads and highways and is ready to provide a leadership role. We are determined to help our industry make Work Zones accident free by equipping all stakeholders with modern tools and methods for the design and implementation of compliant Work Zones as well as for education and training for a more trained and mindful work force.
ConeIQ is an industry leader in modernizing the entire system of Work Zones with the help of latest cloud-based GIS and GPS technologies with geospatial functions. You can visit www.coneiq.com to see how you can also benefit from these latest technologies in our industry. For a free demo, please comment below or click here: ConeIQ_Demo