Towards a Potential Paradigm Shift: The Role of Vision Zero in Global Road Safety Policy Making

Kristianssen, Ann-Catrin · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-76505-7_24

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This paper examines the role of Vision Zero in the development of global road safety policy, investigating how this Swedish-originated approach has diffused internationally and whether it constitutes a paradigm shift in the field. 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 governance, the study aims to map Vision Zero’s integration into the strategies of key international organizations. It seeks to understand what aspects of the policy are being diffused, why, by whom, and how, while also identifying challenges and criticisms associated with its global application. The research employs a mixed-methods design combining qualitative content analysis and semi-structured interviews. The author analyzed 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 to identify key components of Vision Zero and the "safe system" approach. Additionally, the study includes 29 interviews conducted between 2017 and 2018 with senior experts from IGOs, NGOs, and research institutions. Respondents were selected via snowball sampling to ensure diverse perspectives, including those who might disagree with the Vision Zero 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 intergovernmental bodies. The diffusion was significantly driven by the inclusion of Vision Zero concepts in influential reports, notably the 2004 WHO World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention, which framed the safe system approach as essential for accommodating human vulnerability. Experts widely regard Vision Zero as a paradigm shift due to its ethical foundation, systematic perspective, and scientific basis, contrasting it with traditional "three Es" approaches (education, engineering, enforcement). However, the study also reveals criticism regarding its applicability in low- and middle-income countries, where some argue it cannot be effectively used as a policy tool. Furthermore, Vision Zero is not interpreted uniformly across all contexts, raising questions about whether these variations represent natural adaptation or a dilution of the policy’s core principles. The significance of this research lies in its demonstration of how a national policy innovation can influence global agenda-setting and governance structures. By establishing Vision Zero as a coherent and inspiring framework, the study highlights the mechanisms of global policy diffusion, including the roles of epistemic communities and transnational advocacy networks. The paper concludes that while Vision Zero has successfully shifted global road safety discourse toward a systemic and ethical approach, its implementation faces challenges related to contextual adaptation and resource disparities. This underscores the need for continued scrutiny of how global policies are translated into local practices and the potential limitations of applying standardized safety philosophies across diverse socioeconomic contexts.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• traffic safety culture
• comparative international