- No loss of life is acceptable
- Traffic fatalities and serious injuries are preventable
- We all make mistakes
- We are all physically vulnerable when involved in motor vehicle collisions
- Eliminating fatalities and serious injuries requires Edmontonians and the City to prioritize safety
What is Vision Zero?
Our streets are for everyone, whether you are walking, rolling, cycling, driving or taking transit. The Safe Mobility Strategy 2021-2025 is our plan to achieve Vision Zero: Zero traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities through safer, more livable streets for all by 2032.
Vision Zero Principles
The Path to Vision Zero
- Injury from crashes is largely preventable and predictable — it is a human-made problem amenable to rational analysis and countermeasure, which requires holistic data and proactive interventions.
- Common driving, walking, cycling, and motorcycling errors and behaviours should not lead to death and serious injury. The transportation system should help us to cope with increasingly demanding conditions.
- The vulnerability of the human body should be a limiting design parameter for the transportation system. Speed management is central to this.
- Transportation safety is a multi-disciplinary issue and a public health issue. All sectors, including health, need to be fully engaged in responsibility, activity, and advocacy for injury prevention.
- Transportation safety needs to focus on all modes of travel. Equal protection is needed for all travellers, and we must recognize that when we travel in a vehicle, we bear more responsibility for the safety of others because we are protected by a metal frame. People moving outside of vehicles are not as protected and are at much higher risk.
- Transportation safety and injuries are social equity issues. Local knowledge needs to inform the implementation of local solutions. Our concerns and needs vary based on our identity.
What We Are Doing
We work with community groups, traffic safety experts, planners, engineers, academics, and Edmontonians to come up with solutions that keep everyone safe. We take into consideration data, research and best practices, as well as Edmontonians’ lived experiences.
We are using a data-driven, evidence-based approach, Safe Systems approach and the 5 Es of traffic safety:
- Engineering
- Education
- Enforcement
- Engagement
- Evaluation
Below you will find more information about programs and services the City is working on in pursuit of Vision Zero.
Sharing the Road
Edmonton’s Safe Passing Distance Bylaw provides clear guidance for how much room people driving need to leave to safely pass people biking on the street. Passing at a safe distance helps make sure everyone gets to their destination incident-free.
Things to keep in mind when passing people cycling and scooting on the street:
- Be mindful of the space required based on the speed limit in the zone you are travelling
- You may cross the solid yellow line, when safe, to give the required space
- People biking or scooting on the street may be riding in the middle of the lane to avoid obstacles and debris close to the curb
- Wait until it’s safe to pass, it won’t add much time to your trip
40 km/h Default Speed Limit
Edmonton has a default speed limit of 40 km/h on most residential and downtown streets. Reducing speed limits on residential streets, downtown and high pedestrian areas makes our streets safer, calmer and quieter for everyone. Slowing down gives people more time to react to the unexpected to prevent crashes and reduce the severity of collisions that do happen.
In a pedestrian collision at 50 km/h, the pedestrian’s survival rate is just 20%. Reducing the vehicle’s speed to 40 km/h doubles the pedestrian’s chances of survival.
Not sure about the speed limit of a road in Edmonton? Check the speed limit using the online tool.
Contact Us
311 Contact Centre
Phone 311 | Outside Edmonton and Video Relay Service (VRS): 780-442-5311 | TTY 711