Vision Zero
What is Vision Zero?
Walk, roll, drive or ride: everyone has the right to arrive safely. We are committed to ensuring road safety for everyone in the community and to work collaboratively with community partners towards a common goal of Vision Zero – mobility free of fatalities and major injuries. The goal is to reach ZERO major injuries and fatalities on our roads.
The video to the right begins to tell the powerful story of what happens when one pedestrian is struck and killed. Watch for parts two and three in the coming months to learn about the ripple effects of one traffic fatality.
In 2024, 13 pedestrians lost their lives
That is more than one person a month dying in a collision on Calgary roads. This figure is a ten-year high. A 225-per-cent year-over-year increase. We are on track to see as many or more pedestrian fatalities in 2025.
These our moms, dads, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, classmates, aunts, uncles, teammates, friends, teachers, coaches and neighbours.
An additional 16 motorists were killed
An entire community is impacted when this happens, and the pain reverberates through our city.
We need to work together to stop this. Pedestrians and motorists need to make better choices. We all need to slow down. Be patient. Stay off our phones. Obey the laws. Be courteous. Drive to the conditions.
Everyone deserves to get home safely. Join the Drive to Zero lives lost.
Injuries and fatalities in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto
Most major cities across Canada have a goal to reduce major injuries and fatalities.
*In the below line graphics, data for Edmonton in 2024 is not available at this time.
What is the City doing?
The Safer Mobility Plan 2024-2028 is the first unified plan between the Calgary Police Service (CPS) and the City of Calgary. As core partners we are working towards safer mobility and reducing harm on our roadways. The plan is built on past successes and principles of continuous improvement, aiming to capture the momentum of existing programs, amplify their impact, and identify gaps to develop new strategies.
How do we Drive to Zero Lives Lost?
We use the Safe System Approach which recognizes the interdependence of the safe system components: safe roads, safe speeds, safe road users and safe vehicles, and the actions that can be taken to achieve improvements across these components.
We need to all agree that:
- Deaths and serious injuries are unacceptable
- Humans make mistakes and are vulnerable
- Responsibility is shared
- Safety is proactive
- Overlapping measures are crucial.
What targets have we set?
Clear collision reduction targets to achieve our vision have been carried forward from previous plans at provincial, national and global levels.
The specific numeric targets to achieve a 25-per-cent reduction over the course of the five-year plan for all major injuries and fatalities.
What are we doing?
In 2024, we were able to make progress on several engineering projects and initiatives to help make our streets safer for everyone. Below are some examples.
New Traffic Safety team
The Traffic Safety Team works to keep Calgary streets safe. The team is made up of trained peace officers who work with the Calgary Police. They focus on issues such as noisy vehicles, speeding near schools and in playground zones, mud tracking, unsecured loads, and obstructed visibility due to improperly loaded or maintained vehicles.
Street safety initiatives
This graphic is a simplified example and is not intended to represent a specific intersection. It is designed to illustrate the types of engineering devices that may be used in similar settings, not to represent exact layouts or conditions.
Kensington Road safety improvements
In the summer of 2023, temporary measures were put in place to improve safety along Kensington Road. These changes saw Kensington Road reduced to one traffic lane in each direction between 16th Street N.W. and 23rd Street N.W. Temporary traffic calming curbs were used along the corridor to block the curb lane from vehicle use.
This project was in response to findings from a safety and operational review looking at collisions in the area. Results show that in the year after the project was completed collisions were down by 52 per cent and collision severity was reduced. In addition, more people are now walking in the area.
Traffic Safety Education
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An annual initiative that challenges Calgary students in Grades K-12 to explore traffic safety through video creation and public celebration.
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Generally following topics outlined in the Alberta Traffic Safety Calendar, Mobility Safety initiates public safety messaging annually around a variety of topics including Distracted Driving, Speed Safety, Bike/Pathway Safety and Back to School Traffic Safety.
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Designed to promote the use of active and sustainable modes of transportation among students while addressing persistent transportation and safety challenges in the immediate area around schools.
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The Calgary in motion! activity book helps empower younger citizens to feel confident when practicing safe travel skills, this book provides safety messages and fun activities around staying safe on streets, sidewalks and pathways.
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Citizen volunteers increase awareness about speed in their communities. The primary focus area for this program is in playground zones and residential roads where speed is a concern.