The British Columbia Vision Zero in Road Safety Grant Program was created in 2021 from the joint partnership of the Government of British Columbia, the British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit, the First Nations Health Authority and the five local health authorities. It is built upon the successful programs previously administered by Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health.
Our goal is to support local communities across British Columbia to achieve Vision Zero and make travelling around one’s community safe and equitable.
Vision Zero is an internationally recognized traffic safety approach to eliminating serious injuries and deaths on the road.
A Vision Zero approach recognizes that people make mistakes and sometimes these mistakes can result in road crashes and injuries. However, governments, health professionals, road designers, and road users can work together to implement protective measures that minimize the severity of these crashes. When we create safe spaces for people to travel, we can prevent serious injuries and death on our roads.
To make a meaningful change, Vision Zero must be aligned with the Safe Systems Approach. This strategy prioritizes evidence-based solutions that encourage safe drivers, safe speeds, safe roads, and safe vehicles1. These pieces work in together to ensure that everyone, including pedestrians, cyclists, motor vehicle occupants, can enjoy spending time outdoors and travelling safely to their destinations.
Vision Zero is achievable and effective. Sweden and the Netherlands were the first to adopt this approach and have seen up to 66% fewer road fatalities compared to the 1990s2. Seeing their success, Vision Zero has been adopted by other European countries and North American cities3. British Columbia, Canada is one of the latest province to join in on this movement.
Adapted from Safarpour et al. (2020) Table 2. Comparison of traditional, systematic, and vision zero approaches on road safety based on a scoping review4.
Did you know that road safety is one of three injury prevention priorities in British Columbia?
Each year, motor vehicle crashes cause:
Motor vehicle crashes also disproportionately impact Indigenous populations more than non-Indigenous groups in BC. Many Indigenous people live in rural and remote locations and have to travel on varying road conditions. These groups also face barriers to proper driver training and licensing services making travelling options even more limited9. Every British Columbian deserves safe and equitable mobility regardless if they travel in a vehicle, on foot, on a bicycle, or other transportation methods.
Vulnerable road users (VRUs) are everyday people who use the roads but are travelling outside of a motor vehicle. They often share the road with motor vehicles but do not have the same protections like vehicular occupants (e.g., seatbelts, airbags, windshields). This puts VRUs at a higher risk of serious injury, disability, or death in a road-related crash.
In the past two decades, there has not been a significant reduction in pedestrian and cyclist deaths in BC6.
The safety of VRUs need to be prioritized. BC is expected to welcome more people to the province in the coming years. This means more British Columbians will be on the road, walking, cycling, or using other types of transportations when travelling in their communities. To reduce traffic and combat the climate emergency, the Province of BC has a goal to double the number of active transportation users by 203010. Actions need to be taken now to ensure that these groups have fair and safe access to BC roadways.
Vulnerable road users walk, cycle, and roll to their destinations. They are pedestrians; cyclists; people who use e-scooters, e-bikes, e-skateboards, wheelchairs, roadside workers; horse-riders, etc.
This Grant Program provides funding to British Columbians who are looking to create safer roads and spaces for their community. All local governments, Indigenous communities, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are welcome to apply to one of two program streams:
Stream #1 is mainly for the design and installation of low-cost road infrastructure that improves the safety of vulnerable road users. It may also include other novel projects, such as road policy changes or other proven or innovative initiatives.
Stream #2 is for Indigenous communities and governments to set and direct their own road safety priorities. This may include infrastructure improvements like in Stream #1, but can also extend to other goals, such as road safety planning, community consultations, stakeholder engagement, public awareness, a bike-share program, and etc.
The funds provided by the British Columbia Vision Zero in Road Safety Grant Program are a step towards safer and equitable road access in the province. When the transportation system is made safer for vulnerable road users, it is made safer for everyone in the community.
To learn more about Vision Zero initiatives both in British Columbia and beyond, visit our Resources page.
Since our Grant Program's Inception in 2021:
In 2022, a process evaluation was conducted to gather feedback on the inaugural year grant program. The focus was on the applicant’s experience applying for funding. Other participants included members of the Vision Zero Working Group, which is comprised of health authority leads, Ministry of Health staff, and members of the British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit. The objective was to identify best practices and areas of improvement for the program moving forward. We are sincerely grateful to all who shared their time and provided their input for this work.
You can read the findings from this work in the Process Evaluation 2021 - 2022 Report.
Photos courtesy of the Government of BC Flickr account; iStockPhoto; Shutterstock; Unsplash; and the communities who have received Vision Zero BC funding.
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