TZD > Background

The Evolution of Toward Zero Deaths

In 2009, multiple traffic safety stakeholders began the dialogue toward creating a national strategic highway safety plan at a workshop in Savannah, Georgia. The majority of participants expressed that there should be a highway safety vision to which the nation aspires, even if at that point in the process it was not clear how or when it could be realized. This group concluded that the elimination of highway deaths is the appropriate goal, as even one death is unacceptable. With this input from over 70 workshop participants and further discussions with the Steering Committee following the workshop, the name of this effort became “Toward Zero Deaths: A National Strategy on Highway Safety.”

TZD's History

Determined the Need

Determined need to create national strategic highway safety plan and workshop in Georgia

NCHRP 17-51 Initiated

NCHRP 17-51, National Strategic Highway Safety Plan Support--Toward Zero Deaths: A National Strategy and Vision, was initiated to develop a comprehensive national SHSP.

National TZD Steering Committee Formed

Named the effort, “Toward Zero Deaths: A National Strategy on Highway Safety”

Interviews with States and Stakeholders

Project Team Hosts Second Series of Stakeholder Webinars

Workshop for Review of Draft Framework

Launch Framework

National Strategy on Highway Safety and Strategic Communication Plan

TZD National Strategy Download (PDF)

AASHTO Resolution

AASHTO formally recognized the National Strategy as its strategic highway safety plan for the nation.

TZD National Strategy Download (DOCX)

TZD > White Paper Downloads

Summary
White papers examining highway safety issues developed

Paper 1
Future View

Paper 2
Safety Culture

Paper 3
Safer Drivers

Paper 4
Safer Vehicles

Paper 5
Vulnerable Users

Paper 6
Infrastructure

Paper 7
EMS

Paper 8
Data Systems and Analysis Tools

Paper 9
Lessons Learned

TZD > Webinar Downloads

Overview of the TZD Initiative and Safety Culture
One page introduction to Safety Culture

Presentation

Safer Infrastructure
Presentation

Safer Vehicles
Presentation

Road User Safety
Presentation

Decade of Action

Tragic deaths and the misery and grief they cause are not inevitable. They can be prevented, if measures are taken by governments, police, health practitioners and all road users to improve safety.

The United Nations General Assembly introduced the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 and set the goal for the decade: “to stabilize and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world” by 2020.

Millions of deaths could potentially be prevented as a result.

To support the Decade of Action goal, transportation leaders in the United States created the National Strategy on Highway Safety and the Toward Zero Deaths approach.