The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan was developed through data-driven and map-based decision making, leveraging the experience of other North American cities that have adopted Vision Zero strategies and through collaboration with several local partners who traditionally support and undertake road safety initiatives independently.
The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan identifies and addresses seven emphasis areas, which were determined through collision data analysis, public engagement and Council direction. They include pedestrians, school children, older adults, cyclists, motorcyclists, aggressive driving and distraction, and heavy trucks.
For each of these emphasis areas, the plan outlines existing and new safety measures that includes engineering, education, enforcement and technology programs and initiatives.
The Vision Zero Dashboard and Mapping Tool provide an overview of safety measures that have been implemented across the City of Toronto.
Pedestrian collisions involve any person that is not riding in a vehicle or on a bicycle
Corridors within the city exhibiting deadly or serious injury collisions will be prioritized and targeted for pedestrian safety improvements such as speed reductions, shortened crossing distances, no-right-turns on red, advance greens for pedestrians, fully protected left-turns and police enforcement for compliance with traffic rules that affect pedestrian safety. These measures will improve pedestrian safety by reducing crossing distances, making the pedestrian crossing more accessible and reducing vehicle conflicts with pedestrians.
Pedestrian Safety Measures on Our Mapping Tool
Descriptions of Pedestrian Safety Measures
Pedestrian Heat Map
School-aged children are defined as people between the ages of 4 and 19
Schools will be identified within a 1 km radius of a killed or serious injury collision involving a school child and will be prioritized for an in-depth review to see if there are opportunities for safety improvements. These can include enhanced pavement markings and signage, “Watch Your Speed” driver-feedback signs, police enforcement targeting safety concerns for school children or other enhanced safety improvements both within the school zone and along pre-designated active and safe routes to school.
School Children Safety Measures on Our Mapping Tool
Descriptions of School Children Safety Measures
Heat Map of Collisions where School Children were Killed or Seriously Injured
Older adults are defined as people over the age of 65
Special consideration will be given at locations exhibiting killed or serious injury collisions where there are higher concentrations of senior pedestrians living and interacting. These areas will be prioritized and targeted for speed reductions, increased walk times at traffic signals, enhanced pavement markings, “Watch Your Speed” driver-feedback signs and police enforcement for aggressive driving behaviours that affect senior pedestrians.
Older Adult Safety Measures On Our Mapping Tool
Safety Measures for Older Adults
View Older Adult KSI Heat Map
2018 List of Senior Safety Zones
Cyclist collisions involve a motor vehicle striking a person riding a bicycle
In depth reviews will be conducted at locations exhibiting high killed or serious injury collisions involving cyclists along existing cycle routes to see if there are any opportunities to enhance the existing cycling facilitates to improve safety. Such initiatives include the implementation of cyclist signals, bike boxes, advance green for cyclists and police enforcement targeting behaviours that impact cyclist safety such as dooring and improper use of bicycle lanes. The Cycling Network Plan provides an overview of route selection and work to connect, grow and renew the City-wide cycling network.
Cyclist Safety Measures on Our Mapping Tool
Descriptions of Cyclist Safety Measures
Heat Map of Where Cyclists were Killed or Seriously Injured
Motorcyclist collisions include drivers riding on a motorcycle as well as passengers riding on a motorcycle or in a sidecar attached to a motorcycle
Motorcycle killed or serious injury collisions tend to occur at either significant bends or junctions in the road combined with aggressive riding, distraction and/or impairment. Police enforcement and signs will be deployed at these locations to warn of hazards unique to the motorcycling experience.
Motorcyclist Safety Measures on Our Mapping Tool
Descriptions of Motorcyclist Safety Measures
Heat Map of Where Motorcyclists Were Killed or Seriously Injured
As a result of aggressive driving and distraction, an individual is killed or seriously injured every 2 days on Toronto’s roads.
Aggressive driving collisions involve a driver that follows too closely, exceeds the speed limit, drives too fast for the current conditions, disobeys a traffic control, fails to yield the right-of-way, or passes improperly. Distracted collisions are collisions where any type of road user involved (pedestrian, cyclist, or driver) was inattentive.
In depth reviews will be conducted along corridors exhibiting high killed or serious injury collisions involving aggressive driving and/or distraction to determine the possibility of implementing measures such as speed reductions, geometric safety improvements or other traffic calming measures. Reports on corridors experiencing higher degrees of killed or serious injury collisions involving aggressive driving will also be forwarded to the police for targeted enforcement.
Aggressive Driving and Distraction Safety Measures on Our Mapping Tool
Descriptions of Aggressive Driving and Distraction Safety Measures
Heat Map of Collisions Where Someone was Killed or Seriously Injured due to Aggressive Driving and Distraction