Towards a potential Paradigm Shift. The Role of Vision Zero in Global Road Safety Policy Making

Kristianssen, Ann-Catrin · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-23176-7_24-1

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Summary

This paper investigates the role of Vision Zero in global road safety policymaking, examining how this Swedish-originated policy framework has diffused internationally and influenced global governance structures. Motivated by the disproportionate burden of road traffic injuries—particularly in low- and middle-income countries—and the slow historical progress of global road safety conventions, the study aims to map Vision Zero’s integration into international strategies. It seeks to determine whether Vision Zero represents a paradigm shift in global road safety, analyzing what components are diffusing, why they are adopted, who promotes them, and how they are interpreted across different contexts. The research employs a qualitative design combining document analysis and expert interviews. The author analyzed key policy documents, reports, and resolutions from major intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) such as the United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and OECD, as well as statements from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). These texts were scrutinized for the presence of Vision Zero and "safe system" concepts. Additionally, the study included 29 semi-structured interviews with senior experts from IGOs, NGOs, and research institutions conducted between 2017 and 2018. Respondents were selected via snowball sampling to ensure diverse perspectives, including those critical of the approach. The findings indicate that Vision Zero has become a well-established global road safety policy program and philosophy, deeply integrated into the work of major international organizations. The diffusion was significantly driven by the inclusion of the concept in influential reports, notably the 2004 WHO World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, which introduced the safe system approach to a global audience. Experts widely regard Vision Zero as an innovative and inspiring policy due to its ethical foundation, which shifts responsibility from individual road users to system designers, and its systematic, evidence-based approach. However, the study also identifies criticism regarding its applicability, with some experts arguing that Vision Zero cannot be effectively used as a policy tool in low- and middle-income countries. The analysis reveals that while the core ethical and systematic principles are consistent, the interpretation and reproduction of Vision Zero vary across contexts, raising questions about whether these variations represent natural adaptation or challenges to the policy’s integrity. The significance of this research lies in its demonstration that Vision Zero constitutes a paradigm shift in global road safety work, moving away from traditional enforcement and education models toward a holistic safe system approach. The study highlights the mechanisms of global policy diffusion, showing how advocacy networks and IGOs consolidate new ideas into global agendas. It underscores the importance of understanding how policy innovations are translated across different political and economic contexts, providing insights for future global governance efforts aimed at reducing road traffic fatalities worldwide.

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• traffic safety culture
• comparative international