Vision Zero: Commit to Being a Safe Driver
Target Audience: The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) joined with the city of Houston to promote Vision Zero Houston, a citywide initiative to prioritize safety and accessibility in street design for people of all ages and abilities.
Strategy Objective:Achieving safe and accessible streets for everyone requires a shift in how the public thinks about moving around our city. Public education efforts are a major component of facilitating that change. METRO's goal was to show the public that all people deserve to be safe on Houston area streets whether they are driving, walking, biking, using a wheelchair, or riding transit. To convey this message, METRO produced a video that illustrated the real-life consequences of unsafe driving behaviors. It was followed by a request for residents to take the Vision Zero Pledge and acknowledge their role in preventing traffic deaths and serious injuries.
Situation Challenge: Houston roadways are some of the deadliest in America. In fact, among the 12 largest cities in the U.S., Houston has the highest number of roadway fatalities in terms of deaths per capita. According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, between 2014 and 2018, there were 1,097 fatal traffic crashes and 5,556 serious injury crashes on Houston roadways. For decades, the prevailing belief has been that traffic deaths are an inevitable result of modern life. However, there are ways to make streets safer. Roadway design, speeds, behaviors, technology, and policies all have an impact on how people move around the city. Personal responsibility and roadway engineering can significantly impact safety.
Results Impact: METRO received positive feedback from stakeholders about the video. It was also shared by Vision Zero Houston, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and several community partners.
Why Submit: We believe it successfully illustrates the reality that people use different modes of transportation to get around Houston and that, as a community, it is important we recognize that driving behaviors impact the health and safety of our neighbors.