Vision Zero

Vision Zero is a global campaign to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries, originating in Sweden in 1994 as a new approach to transportation planning, roadway design and urban policy that prioritizes safety for all roadway users.

Why Vision Zero?

Roadway fatalities are still at an all-time high. The National Safety Council (NSC) estimates that more than 44,000 people were killed on U.S. roadways in 2024. This number is nearly unchanged from the 2023 data and is still one of the highest numbers of fatal crashes the country has seen since 2007.

motor-vehicle-deaths

(Source: National Safety Council)

Norfolk's Vision Zero Policy

Norfolk Safety Action Plan Final Report Image

In response to this growing safety and public health crisis, the City of Norfolk passed a Vision Zero Resolution in 2019 with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries by the year 2050, and to encourage the development and implementation of policies and programs that center safety considerations in the ongoing improvement of the City’s transportation network.

Check out the Vision Zero in Norfolk page to learn about the City’s approach to achieving Vision Zero!

The Safe Systems Approach

Safe-System-Approach


The U.S. Department of Transportation and the Vision Zero Network promote the Safe Systems Approach as framework for infrastructure improvements and safety policies, focusing on key areas that play a large role in the severity of crashes. It also highlights the necessity of multisectoral collaboration in addressing safety issues across the transportation network.



The City of Norfolk’s Department of Transportation, in partnership with other City departments and local stakeholders, works on projects and initiatives aimed primarily at three objectives of the Safe Systems Approach: Safer Roads, Safer Speeds, and Safer People.

Learn more about the Safe Systems Approach in the Norfolk Safety Action Plan.