Eliminating traffic deaths
Traffic crashes kill over a million people globally each year, serving as a leading cause of preventable death particularly among young people. Experts emphasize that simple, cost-effective infrastructure changes and traffic-calming measures can drastically reduce fatalities, as demonstrated in places like Hoboken, New Jersey.
Why it matters
Addressing preventable traffic fatalities through smart urban design can save thousands of lives and fundamentally improve public health and community walkability.
Culture Eliminating traffic deaths Deploying simple, proven methods for making our roads safer could save more than 1 million lives worldwide each year.
Every year, traffic crashes kill more than one million people , and they’re the leading cause of death for children and young adults. In the US, 100 people a day lose their lives this way, in many cases not on highways but on rural and local streets. “Traffic deaths are a leading cause of preventable death, yet we treat it like it’s inevitable,” says Leah Shahum, founder and director of the Vision Zero Network, a nonprofit focused on making streets less deadly.
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