Vision Zero is a grassroots campaign with a simple goal – bring the number of traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero.
This video shares the stories of members of the Knoxville community whose lives have been impacted by a traffic crash.
Vision Zero Knoxville - Crash Survivor Stories - Bryan Hill
Vision Zero Knoxville - Crash Survivor Stories - Stephanie Carlson
Learn more from the Vision Zero Network!
Vision Zero is different from any other traffic safety campaign in several key ways:
- Vision Zero starts with the premise that all deaths and serious injuries on our roadways are preventable.
- Vision Zero provides a systematic approach to reduce the occurrence and severity of collisions.
- Vision Zero is data-driven. By aiming for zero deaths and serious injuries by a given date, the effectiveness of specific actions can be evaluated.
- Vision Zero is inclusive. While an inordinate number of fatalities and serious injuries are suffered by pedestrians and bicyclists, all users are brought together to generate solutions.
Vision Zero begins with a political commitment. To join the scores of cities across the U.S. in this movement, a Mayor must publicly commit to a Vision Zero campaign and develop a Vision Zero Action Plan with a clear time frame. To be effective, the campaign must engage a broad range of city departments – including police, transportation and public health – with the goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on our roadways.
Learn more about Vision Zero Knoxville!
Bike Walk Knoxville is proud to have served on the Knoxville TPO Safety Task Force to help develop the Regional Roadway Safety Action Plan. The Regional Roadway Safety Action Plan takes a Safe Systems approach, using data, local expertise, and public feedback to find the locations where people are most at risk of experiencing a crash that results in a fatal or serious injury and then identifying projects and programs that address those risks. We look forward to the implementation of this plan, and to reaching the goal of zero deaths or serious injuries on our roadways.
Bike Walk Knoxville is proud to have served on the City of Knoxville Vision Zero Vision Zero Steering Committee to help develop the City of Knoxville Vision Zero Action Plan. The City is committed to eliminating deaths and serious injuries on our streets, and the Action Plan outlines strategies to help guide the implementation efforts of the City and its partners to improve safety in Knoxville.
From 2016-2020, at least 1,534 traffic crashes in Knoxville caused either a fatality or serious injury, with an average of 34 fatal crashes occurring every year. 21% of these crashes involved pedestrians or bicyclists, who are especially vulnerable on the road. These tragedies cause immeasurable damage to our community.
In October 2021, City Council unanimously passed a ‘Vision Zero’ resolution to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries on Knoxville’s streets, and the City’s Vision Zero coalition launched in February.
The first public meeting of the Vision Zero coalition took place on May 16, and featured a panel of experts sharing information about the state of traffic safety in Knoxville.
Bike Walk Knoxville is looking for stories from individuals in our community who have been impacted by traffic violence. If you or a loved one has been involved in a collision, whether while biking, walking, or driving, we’d like to hear from you. We know these stories are deeply personal and often difficult to speak about, but we also understand the importance of lifting up the voices of people in our community. We want to raise awareness around the tragic risks of traffic collisions, because our streets should be safe for everyone. This is an important part of our Vision Zero campaign, a grassroots movement that seeks to use a safe systems approach to achieve the goal of zero serious injuries and traffic fatalities on our roadways. Bike Walk Knoxville is proud that in October of 2021, City Council passed a Vision Zero resolution, and we are grateful for the support of Mayor Kincannon and her administration. However, we know that this work is ongoing, and we see sharing these stories as a vital part of advancing the Vision Zero cause.
We hope you’ll consider sharing your story with us, and we thank you for your support of safe streets for all.
Get Involved
If you are interested in more information about the Vision Zero movement, click the button below to find out how to get involved with our Vision Zero Committee.