The Safe System The Safe System

The Safe System approach says while we all have a responsibility to make good choices, we’re human and we make mistakes.

This means, we need to build a more forgiving system that protects people from death and serious injury when they crash.

Vision Zero and the Safe System have often been applied just to the road system where the majority of harm occurs. Our Vision Zero strategy applies the principles to all modes of transport. A Safe System is created when system designers design safe speeds and infrastructure, and there are safe vehicles and users.

Vision Zero strengthens the Safe System through:

  • an explicit values-based or ethical position stating no one should die or be seriously injured while using the transport system
  • an ambitious commitment to continuously work towards eliminating all transport deaths and serious injuries - no death is acceptable
  • a changed mindset among system designers, in Sweden this concept is stated as: “In every situation a person might fail, the transport system should not.”