Helsinki managed to record zero traffic fatalities over the course of an entire year. What methods did they employ to achieve this remarkable feat?
In a significant leap towards road safety, the Finnish capital Helsinki, the Norwegian capital Oslo, and the Swedish capital Stockholm have all recorded years with zero traffic-related deaths. These cities have implemented Vision Zero strategies, a long-term, people-focused urban planning and policy approach that prioritizes safety over car convenience.
Lowering Speed Limits
A key strategy in these cities has been reducing speed limits. Helsinki, for instance, lowered urban speed limits to 30 km/h (19 mph) in residential zones and 50 km/h on main roads. Lower speeds significantly reduce both the likelihood and severity of crashes.
Road Design for Safety
The cities have integrated traffic-calming measures such as raised intersections, protected bike lanes, more pedestrian crossings, and fixing gaps in pedestrian networks like muddy paths or missing connections. These physical changes reduce conflict points and make streets safer for vulnerable users.
Reducing Car Dominance
Oslo explicitly aimed to make driving less convenient by removing on-street parking, increasing road tolls, and reinvesting those revenues into improving public transit. This discourages car use and encourages walking, biking, and transit.
Reclaiming and Redesigning Space for People
All three cities have prioritized reclaiming public space from cars to cyclists and pedestrians, enhancing walkability and cycling infrastructure.
Income-Based Fines and Enforcement
Helsinki also implements income-based traffic fines combined with automated speed cameras to enforce compliance effectively and equitably.
Engaging Citizens
Stockholm’s approach included citizen input to identify and fix critical pedestrian network issues, ensuring changes meet actual user needs.
Strong Transit Integration
Helsinki invested in strong public transit options to offer viable alternatives to car use, supporting the overall reduction in traffic risks.
These elements collectively form part of the Vision Zero philosophy, which holds that no loss of life or serious injury on roads is acceptable and stresses proactive, systemic changes rather than blaming individual recklessness.
The success in Helsinki, Oslo, and other leading cities isn't mystical or hard to understand, but requires a fundamental shift in philosophy. To make walking and cycling safe and attractive, infrastructure must be physically protected and fully connected. The success in Oslo was driven by a clear political choice to make driving in the city more difficult, more expensive, and less convenient. Smarter street design prioritizing pedestrian and cycling infrastructure was key in Helsinki. Last year, the number of severe accidents in Helsinki dropped by 75%. Europe, and particularly Scandinavia, outperforms the US in terms of road safety.
With a metropolitan population of around 1.5 million people, Helsinki's success is particularly noteworthy when compared to cities like Cincinnati or Nashville, which have dozens of fatal accidents per year. Stockholm made key routes available only by foot or bike, and Oslo, the capital of Norway, achieved zero pedestrian and cyclist fatalities in 2019.
In conclusion, the three cities' zero-traffic-fatality success is based on lower speeds, safer street design, reduced car dependence, robust pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, rigorous enforcement, and citizen involvement, all aligned with Vision Zero principles.
Environmentally-friendly cities like Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm have adopted strategies to ensure road safety and prioritize the well-being of their residents. These strategies include lowering speed limits, redesigning roads for safety, reducing car dominance, reclaiming public space for people, and engaging citizens in the decision-making process.
Finance plays a role in these initiatives as well, with cities like Oslo reallocating funds from road tolls to improving public transit options. Health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise industries also benefit from these policies, as they promote walking, biking, and active transportation.
Science and technology have contributed to the success of these cities' Vision Zero initiatives, with the use of automated speed cameras for enforcement and the collection of data to inform evidence-based policies. The transportation industry has also seen changes as a result of these policies, with a shift towards more pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly infrastructure and a decline in traffic congestion.
Overall, the success of Helsinki, Oslo, and Stockholm in achieving zero traffic-related deaths demonstrates the potential for science, environment, health, finance, and transportation to work together for the greater good.
