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# What does success look like with a Vision Zero approach?
- URL: https://visionzerohfx.ghost.io/what-does-success-look-like-with-a-vision-zero-approach/
- Published: 2026-10-01T11:38:07.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-01T14:17:40.000Z
- Description: A member of our Vision Zero community posed a great question recently: "what other cities of comparable size have a zero-death record?" This got us thinking - what does success actually look like with Vision Zero and what can we learn from other cities that have achieved it?
- Author: Vision Zero Kjipuktuk-Halifax
- Tags: Explainer, Vision Zero, Road safety

Vision Zero starts with a clear goal, that no loss of life is acceptable on our roads. This is sometimes misunderstood as a promise that no collision will ever happen, which is unrealistic because humans inevitably make mistakes. Vision Zero instead demonstrates a commitment to build a transportation system where human mistakes do not result in death or life-altering injuries. Simply put, a Vision Zero approach shifts the narrative away from "why did someone make a mistake?" to "Why did our streets allow that mistake to become a tragedy?" Understanding what successful Vision Zero implementation looks like is important for any road safety plan using a Vision Zero approach. In this article, we share three examples of Vision Zero in action. 

*Learning by example*

In 2019,[ Helsinki (Finland) recorded zero deaths](https://content.tfl.gov.uk/vision-zero-case-study-helsinki.pdf?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io) among people walking or cycling, and between July 2024 and July 2025 went an entire year without a single road traffic fatality. City officials attributed these outcomes to decades of evidence-based safety improvements, including lower speed limits, safer intersection designs, protected spaces for walking and cycling, and targeted enforcement. What's striking in the Helsinki example is that these changes are not particularly dramatic when looked at individually. A series of incremental changes were introduced to systematically reduce risk throughout the network. Speed limits were lowered to 30 km/h on many streets, and safety became a consideration in everyday transportation decisions. The result was a transportation network that was far more forgiving when people inevitably made mistakes.

Hoboken, New Jersey (US) offers an equally compelling North American example. In January 2024, the city announced it had gone[ seven consecutive years without a traffic-related fatality](https://www.hobokennj.gov/news/city-of-hoboken-reaches-new-vision-zero-milestone-seven-consecutive-years-without-a-traffic-death?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io), making it one of the few urban communities in the US to achieve such a result. During the same period, injury crashes and serious injuries also declined. City officials attributed the success to a wide range of Vision Zero measures, including high-visibility crosswalks, curb extensions, lower speed limits near schools, improvements to intersection visibility, and roadway redesigns focused on protecting vulnerable road users.

Closer to home, but not specifically touted as a Vision Zero success, Toronto launched Vision Zero just two years prior to the HRM in 2016, and subsequently achieved a [50% reduction in fatalities in 2025](https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/95d9-VZAR2025Finala.pdf?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io), despite a large population increase. High pedestrian fatalities have been reduced, although not eliminated. Consistent reductions in serious and fatal crashes reflect solid Vision Zero methodology and funding that has delivered results for Toronto. However, recent provincial restrictions affecting municipal [bike lane projects](https://www.torontoer.com/lifestyle/cycling-in-toronto-slow-2025-but-key-projects-keep-momentum?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io) and [ongoing debate over automated speed enforcemen](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-vision-zero-update-1.7005513?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io)t may hinder future progress and limit Toronto's ability to expand some Vision Zero safety measures.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/0d/9e/0d9e4256-0810-4ce1-b2ab-bb6537dcc7f4/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-29-at-17.27.22.png)

Data from Toronto’s Vision Zero Road Safety Annual Report from 2025 (p.12) showing declining rates of traffic fatalities. 

What Toronto, Hoboken and Helsinki illustrate are the key principles of Vision Zero across different geographical contexts:

- A focus on eliminating serious conflict points
- A reduction in vehicle speeds, particularly where people walk and cycle
- The use of data to identify risk and guide investment
- Incremental and tactical changes rather than waiting for major reconstruction projects
- A collective mindset shift where fatalities and serious injuries were seen as preventable rather than inevitable

*Looking closer to home*

Many serious intersection collisions occur during permissive left turns when pedestrians have the walk sign and drivers must judge gaps in oncoming traffic while also watching for pedestrians crossing. Removing that conflict is exactly the type of intervention seen in successful Vision Zero jurisdictions around the world. In fact, these were specifically a focus of the [HRM 2026 Road Safety annual report](https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/standing-committees/260924tsc1311.pdf?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io).

The intersection of Dunbrack Street and Lacewood Drive is an example of a high conflict intersection that was converted to fully protected left-turn operations in 2023\. Prior to the change, this intersection was a regular site for collisions, with 47 crashes between January 2018 - November 2023, according to HRM Open Data. Drivers turning left now receive a dedicated signal phase that removes conflicts with oncoming traffic and pedestrians. People using the intersection might only notice the change in signal timing, while the safety benefits can be invisible – someone not getting struck or killed. No crashes at Lacewood/Dunbrack are shown on our Open Data since November 2023\. When a dangerous conflict never happens, there is no headline, there is simply a safer trip home.

Success with Vision Zero is also more than lives saved. It is reflected in the [everyday experiences](https://visionzerohfx.ghost.io/before-the-crash-the-first-100-responses-to-our-incident-report-form-paint-a-worrying-picture-2/) of moving around the city and budget savings. With success in Vision Zero, the HRM would experience fewer fatal or serious injury collisions, reduced conflicts between road users and [lower police, ambulance and hospital costs caused by crashes and injuries](https://visionzerohfx.ghost.io/the-price-tags-we-notice-and-those-we-ignore/). This would make people feel safer, leading to more people choosing to walk, cycle, or use transit. Residents who cannot drive, whether through age (children, seniors) or disability would benefit the most, ensuring equity is baked in throughout the system, as the [updated IMP has promised](https://www.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/city-hall/standing-committees/260326tsc1311pres.pdf?ref=visionzerohfx.ghost.io).

The cities most often cited as Vision Zero success stories, like Helsinki and Hoboken, are part of a network of jurisdictions around the world that have made consistent and coherent policy decisions and implemented incremental changes over time. HRM could easily join them with political will and an adequately funded plan of action.