Vision Zero – Parachute

A future with zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads

Vision Zero is a globally recognized road safety approach that began in Sweden in 1997. It is founded on a simple but powerful belief: no one should be killed or seriously injured while travelling on our roads.

Grounded in the Safe System approach, Vision Zero recognizes that people will make mistakes but those mistakes should not result in death or life-altering injury. By designing safer roads, vehicles, speeds and policies – and by sharing responsibility among governments, transportation professionals, law enforcement and road users – we can create a transportation system that is safe for everyone.

Vision Zero’s goal is to eliminate traffic-related deaths and serious injuries while ensuring safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all.

Parachute has launched a Vision Zero awareness campaign in 2026 that includes billboards donated by Vendo Media encouraging drivers to follow the speed limit to create safer roads. The campaign draws on findings from a 2026 road safety survey conducted by Parachute’s road safety partner, Desjardins Insurance, and includes three videos being promoted on social media that encourage viewers to take part in Parachute’s Snap for Change road safety initative.

Parachute’s national leadership in Vision Zero

Parachute is Canada’s national leader in advancing Vision Zero by bringing together municipalities, organizations, practitioners and advocates to share knowledge, strengthen collaboration and accelerate action toward safer roads. Through national leadership, evidence-informed resources and a growing network of partners, Parachute supports communities of all sizes in implementing Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach.

Follow and join the conversation using #ParachuteVZ on social media to stay informed and support safer communities across Canada.

Parachute Vision Zero works to:

Develop and share evidence-informed Vision Zero resources, tools and best practices to support road safety efforts across Canada.
Support urban and rural jurisdictions in understanding, adopting and advancing Vision Zero and the Safe System Approach.
Connect road safety professionals, decision-makers and community partners to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange and collective action.
Promote data-informed approaches to help communities identify priorities, measure progress and improve road safety outcomes.

Why Canada needs Vision Zero

Every year, thousands of Canadians are killed or seriously injured on our roads. These tragedies are preventable, yet road trauma remains a significant public health issue with devastating human, social and economic impacts.

In 2023, motor vehicle collisions resulted in:

1,964 Canadians killed on our roads – the highest number of road fatalities in the past decade.
9,261 Canadians seriously injured – the highest number in the past five years.
298 pedestrians and 47 cyclists killed, highlighting the risk faced by vulnerable road users.

The estimated social cost of transport injuries in Canada is $3.6 billion annually.

Leading contributors to fatal collisions

Road deaths and serious injuries are not caused by a single factor. They result from the interaction of human behaviour, road design, vehicle safety and the broader transportation system.

According to Transport Canada’s National Collision Database, in 2023:

Speeding or driving too fast was a contributing factor in nearly 25 per cent of fatal collisions.
Distraction was a contributing factor in 18 per cent of fatal collisions.
Impaired driving was a contributing factor in 22 per cent of fatal collisions.

Vision Zero: A proven approach

Since introducing Vision Zero in 1997, Sweden has demonstrated that road deaths and serious injuries can be significantly reduced through safer road design, speed management, safer vehicles and a Safe System Approach. Results include:

Traffic deaths per 100,000 people decreased by 68 per cent between 2000 and 2019.
Road deaths among children under age seven declined from 58 in 1970 to just one in 2012.

Vision Zero is also delivering results in Canada. Edmonton, the first Canadian city to adopt Vision Zero in 2015, reported:

50-per-cent reduction in traffic-related fatalities between 2015 and 2022.
32-per-cent reduction in serious injuries during the same period.

Today, Vision Zero is recognized internationally as a leading framework for preventing road deaths and serious injuries. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the Safe System Approach that underpins Vision Zero as a global best practice for improving road safety.

The Vision Zero difference

Traditional approaches often focus on changing individual behaviour after crashes occur. Vision Zero takes a different approach by improving the entire transportation system to reduce the likelihood and severity of crashes.

Grounded in the Safe System Approach, Vision Zero recognizes that responsibility for road safety is shared.

Designs safer systems

Transportation planners, engineers and system designers create safer roads and infrastructure and redesign them when they do not adequately protect people.

Builds safety into policies and decisions

Governments and policymakers demonstrate leadership by making road safety a priority across transportation, land-use planning and public policy.

Supports effective enforcement

Law enforcement agencies help create safer roads through fair and equitable enforcement of laws related to speed management, impaired driving and distracted driving.

Encourages safer road use

Road users have a responsibility to follow traffic laws and make choices that contribute to safer communities.

The Vision Zero commitment

Components of a strong commitment

Action plan
Co-operation and collaboration
Community engagement
Data-driven
Equity
Multi-disciplinary leadership
Political commitment
Systems-based approach
Transparency

Key activities

Advocacy for policy change
Enhanced regulation and enforcement
Raising public awareness and commitment to road safety
Road infrastructure changes

Focus areas

Continued leadership, collaboration and accountability among all stakeholders
Enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users
Leveraging innovative technology (red light cameras, automated speed enforcement)
Improving road infrastructure for all road users
Increasing enforcement of laws to manage safe speeds and reduce impaired and distracted driving
Positioning road safety as a top priority in policy-making
Strict vehicle regulation and testing