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The first city to implement a program to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries within 10 years was Chicago. Called “Vision Zero,” this bold measure has since been taken up by major cities around the country, including San Francisco.
But is it working?
Today, the San Francisco pedestrian accident attorneys at Allegiance Law want to look at Vision Zero and see how successful it has been at reducing deaths and injuries. Our team is always here to city residents when they are harmed due to another person’s careless or negligent actions.
Vision Zero is a bold international initiative that strives to eliminate traffic injuries and fatalities. This includes those who drive, walk, cycle, or use the roadways in any way. Vision Zero makes a point to say that these incidents are not “accidents,” but rather, that they are tragedies that could be prevented through “smarter engineering, education, and enforcement.”
Since Chicago announced its move towards Vision Zero, dozens of US cities have joined the initiative. They have spent millions of dollars on roadways engineering and improvement, working to rebuild streets, launching public awareness campaigns, and retraining police departments.
The results have been mixed.
Nationwide, the number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in the US has risen by 30% and 14%, respectively, since 2013. This pattern is even seen in several Vision Zero cities. In Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, the numbers have remained relatively flat.
San Francisco and New York have seen a reduction in traffic fatalities, but have seen reversals in their pedestrian and cyclist fatality goals.
San Francisco is in the middle of its 10-year goal of eliminating street fatalities by the year 2024. There is more traffic on the roadways, but fatalities declined from 2013 to 2018, particularly for pedestrians. A recent City Lab article points out that San Francisco’s success has been thanks in part to a multi-agency effort to collaborate and come up with city-wide solutions.
San Francisco has also invested plenty of money into their goals, with several engineering projects to be completed by the end of 2019, five more to be completed by the end of 2020, and an additional 2220 miles of protected bike lanes to be installed. The city has painted bike lanes, made traffic signal adjustments, and changed how buses operate.
If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident that was caused by another driver’s negligent or careless actions, you may be entitled to compensation. At Allegiance Law, our qualified and experienced team is ready to investigate what happened and work to secure the compensation you deserve, including:
When you need a San Francisco pedestrian accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling 415-404-6395.
Posted in Pedestrian Accident