Vision Zero launched

Vision Zero, Kent County Council’s ambitious long-term road safety strategy, was launched at an event at Manston airfield today. The Vision aims to eliminate deaths on Kent’s roads by 2050, using policy, technology and public engagement to mitigate the effects of human error that will always be a feature of driving. 

I was delighted to chair the opening session of the conference, which included a keynote address from HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who has championed road safety and played a leading role in national and international initiatives to improve it over decades. The event included demonstrations of autonomous braking systems and other technological developments, along with other advanced road safety measures, and was attended by haulage and other key industry representatives, research bodies, Kent Highways and other key road authority officers, elected representatives (including Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Scott and KCC Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport David Brazier) and others.

I have written before about Vision Zero here; and you can find KCC’s media statement on it
here.

The launch of Vision Zero follows extensive public consultation, and a key message from today’s event - and also integral to the strategy - was that, alongside funding, technological advances and work with the haulage industry, it is public commitment and engagement that will be vital to its success. Already the Vision has attracted strong interest from communities and their representatives, and I take it as positive that already I face challenge from parish councils and local residents as to how we are reflecting that vision in our actions and decisions on road safety measures. Now we start to make it a reality.