Issaquah is one of many cities across the United States to implement a Vision Zero safety plan. The program originally began in Sweden in 1997, but has since spread to several cities on both coasts of the U.S.
Each Vision Zero city meets specific requirements that are minimum standards for participation. The overarching goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries.
What is Vision Zero?
The Vision Zero program has guidelines that each city, including Issaquah, must follow. Issaquah has made it a goal to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by the year 2030. Despite the fact that the city is already safer than many others, it still sees more than 10,000 crashes a year. The Vision Zero program includes specific projects, resources, partnerships and rules of the road to further its campaign objectives. For example, the program distributes Vision Zero yard signs to people who want to put visible markers in front of their homes to remind drivers to slow down in residential areas. In a 2017 report, the city’s Department of Transportation reported that it is near target to reach the Vision Zero goal.
Issaquah traffic fatalities and injuries
Despite the city’s strong efforts to increase safety for motorists and pedestrians, serious injuries are still a reality. Whether it is vehicle collisions or cycling crashes, Issaquah residents continue to experience the fallout from driver negligence or other road hazards. Typical serious injuries due to motorist crashes include traumatic brain injuries, broken bones and spinal cord injuries, among others. It is important to stay vigilant for certain symptoms following a car crash, especially if you walk away from the accident without any apparent injuries. Signs of a severe spinal injury include numbness or tingling, weakness in the limbs, difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.
Issaquah’s Vision Zero initiative is an ambitious project to totally eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries on the city’s roads. While the city works to improve traffic safety, injuries are still a reality, so all residents need to do their part to help the city reach its objective.
