Only one person died on Oslo's roads in 2019Oslo proved that Vision Zero is possible as they witnessed zero cyclist and pedestrian fatalities in 2019. Only one car driver has been killed due to driving into a fence. Nevertheless, Oslo with a population of 673.000 inhabitants, is the only capital worldwide to reach the goal of “Vision Zero” in pedestrian and bicycle users-safety (Wren, 2020). Surprisingly, the city has not implemented any groundbreaking innovations.
However, improvements in traffic safety include:
extended bike infrastructures
lower speed limits and speed bumps for motorised traffic
fewer vehicles on the road due to higher parking prices
better road conditions by good maintenance
car-free zones around every primary school
Copenhagen: More Than Bike LanesCopenhagen is the world’s known capital for cyclists. Already in 2010, 67% of Copenhagen's inhabitants felt safe on the city's roads. Statistically, the risk of being involved in a serious accident in Copenhagen has fallen by 72% per cycled kilometre since 1996.
The reasons for success are simple:
more space on cycle tracks
widened cycle tracks leading into bottlenecks
green waves for bicycle users
more cycle tracks in general
safer intersections through redesign and painted potential collision zones
pulled back stop lines for motor vehicles
behavioural campaigns to improve consideration in traffic
improved traffic safety regulations such as reducing speed limits for cars