Fatality Reductions Abroad: A Survey of Success From Foreign Jurisdictions

Burbidge, Shaunna K.; Anderson, Camille; Saito, Mitsuru · 2023 · ROSA P / Utah. Dept. of Transportation. Research Division

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Summary

This report, commissioned by the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), addresses the challenge of reducing roadway fatalities in Utah, where recent years have seen an uptick in deaths despite existing Vision Zero efforts. The primary objective was to identify proven traffic safety strategies from foreign jurisdictions that have successfully reduced fatalities, with the goal of adapting these methods for implementation in Utah. The research was motivated by the need to accelerate the adoption of effective policies and design guidelines by learning from international innovators who have achieved significant safety improvements. The methodology involved a two-part approach: a literature review of established "Safe System" programs and a targeted survey of transportation officials abroad. The literature review examined safety initiatives in Sweden, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, and France, as well as U.S. examples like Carmel, Indiana, and New York City. To gather specific operational insights, the researchers used World Health Organization data to identify countries with marked decreases in traffic fatalities. They then developed and distributed an open-ended survey via email to contacts in these nations, including Iran, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Austria, Qatar, South Korea, Australia, Sweden, Greece, and Hungary. The survey inquired about prioritization techniques, targeted crash types, implementation methods, communication strategies, challenges, and interagency collaboration. The study found that countries adopting the Safe System approach achieved substantial fatality reductions, with early adopters like Sweden and the Netherlands seeing 50–70% decreases between 1994 and 2015, compared to an 11% decrease in the U.S. during the same period. Survey responses from nine complete and three partial respondents revealed a variety of effective strategies, including automatic speed management technologies, roadway redesigns (such as roundabouts and median barriers), educational programs, and initiatives aimed at changing driver behavior. Specific examples highlighted included Sweden’s use of Intelligent Speed Adaptation and alcohol interlocks, and Carmel, Indiana’s systemic conversion of intersections to roundabouts, which reduced serious injury crashes by approximately 80%. The survey also identified common challenges and the importance of interagency collaboration and public communication in the success of these programs. The significance of this research lies in its provision of a curated list of actionable strategies for UDOT to consider. The findings suggest that Utah can achieve meaningful reductions in traffic deaths by implementing systemic changes that accommodate human error and vulnerability, rather than relying solely on behavioral modification. The report concludes with recommendations for prioritization, targeted crash mitigation, and implementation planning, emphasizing that adopting these foreign-derived strategies could help Utah overcome its recent plateau in safety improvements and move closer to its Vision Zero goal.

Key finding

Survey responses from foreign jurisdictions revealed a variety of successful fatality reduction strategies rooted in technologies, roadway redesign, educational programs, and driver behavior initiatives.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 12

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified_with_issues.

Topics

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

• comparative international
• regulatory evaluation
• traffic safety culture
• fatality injury trends
• demographic disparities
• incidence prevalence

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation, policy recommendations
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes