How to Improve Road Safety:
Strategies for Cities and Urban Areas

Road safety analysis reveals a shocking reality: more than 1 million people die on the world's roads each year, according to the World Health Organization. We face an urgent public health crisis that demands immediate attention, especially in urban areas where traffic patterns are complex and diverse. 

In fact, traffic collisions are the leading cause of death among children and adolescents aged 5-19 years worldwide, highlighting the critical importance of implementing effective road safety measures.

Additionally, recent years have shown a notable shift, with urban traffic fatalities increasingly surpassing rural fatalities. This emerging trend emphasizes the urgent need for cities to take the lead in road safety management through comprehensive data analysis and risk assessment. Through proactive work and strategic interventions, we can create safer access to all forms of transportation and mobility, ultimately saving countless lives. 

Global road safety crisis: An urban imperative

Throughout this article, we will explore how cities can spearhead road safety initiatives, from implementing Vision Zero action plans to utilizing advanced road traffic safety technologies.  
Additionally, we'll examine proven road safety measures that have successfully reduced fatalities in urban environments across the globe. 

Understanding the Urban Road Safety Challenge

Why cities face higher road safety risks

The urban road safety landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. While rural areas historically recorded higher fatality rates, urban traffic deaths have steadily increased, creating new challenges for city planners and transportation officials. 

The density and complexity of urban environments create unique safety challenges. In 2022, 32% of crash deaths in urban areas in the U.S. occurred at intersections, compared with only 16% in rural locations. Furthermore, more than 80% of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities happen in urban areas, highlighting the vulnerability of non-motorized road users in city environments.

Speed remains a critical factor in urban road safety, with 29% of urban crash deaths involving speeding. Although cities have fewer high-speed roads, the mix of different road users sharing limited space creates complex risk scenarios.

What is road safety in the urban context? 

Urban road safety encompasses strategies and interventions specifically aimed at reducing traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities in city environments. Given that someone dies in urban traffic every minute worldwide, addressing urban road safety is not only urgent but crucial for public health. 

The challenge in cities is particularly acute for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists who represent the majority of fatalities in urban traffic collisions. Ensuring safe urban mobility thus demands a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes protecting these vulnerable groups while balancing the diverse needs of all road users. 

To effectively tackle this complexity, the Safe System approach - endorsed by the European Road Safety Observatory - provides a valuable framework. It explicitly acknowledges human error as inevitable and emphasizes designing forgiving infrastructure to minimize crash severity. Instead of solely responding to accidents after they occur, this approach proactively implements multiple layers of protection through thoughtful roadway design and supportive policies.

The Role of Road Safety Data Analysis in City Planning

Systematic collection and analysis of road safety data serve as the foundation for effective urban safety planning. Cities must gather comprehensive data on crashes, mobility patterns, and risk factors to make informed decisions about infrastructure investments and policy priorities. 

A well-designed road safety database should include: 

  • Crash location and circumstance details
  • Hospital injury data (beyond police reports)
  • Traffic volume and mobility pattern information
  • Behavioral and enforcement data 

By analyzing this data, cities can pinpoint high-risk locations, understand crash patterns, and evaluate the effectiveness of safety interventions. Advanced analytical tools, including GIS mapping to visualize crash hotspots and predictive analytics to anticipate potential safety issues before crashes occur, increasingly play a crucial role in urban planning.

Turn traffic data into safer streets: With PTV Visum Safety, you can collect, integrate, and analyze crash, mobility, and behavioral data to identify high-risk areas and evaluate safety measures. Build the foundation for effective, data-driven urban safety strategies.

Crucially, data analysis is not an end in itself but rather informs practical design solutions. Insights derived from systematic data collection and analysis directly shape how existing streets and intersections are adapted and retrofitted to enhance safety. 

Designing Safer Streets for All Users

Effective street design is the practical application of road safety data insights, forming the cornerstone of urban road safety. It translates evidence-based strategies into tangible solutions, creating environments where all road users can travel safely, regardless of their mode of transportation. 

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most impactful tools and design strategies used to create safer streets for everyone:

Traffic calming and speed management

The primary purpose of traffic calming is to support neighborhood livability through improvements in non-motorist safety and comfort. These measures physically slow vehicles rather than relying solely on speed limits and enforcement. Strategically implemented traffic calming techniques, guided by targeted data analysis, have effectively reduced vehicle speeds and crash severity in urban environments: 

  • Narrowing lanes and intersections forces drivers to reduce speed.
  • Chicanes create S-shaped routes that lower vehicle speeds.
  • Speed tables/humps reduce speeds through vertical deflection.
  • Gateway treatments alert drivers they're entering a slower zone. 

A Missouri Department of Transportation study found that simple edge line applications on rural roads reduced total crashes by 15% and severe crashes by 19%, underscoring the broader applicability of informed design measures. 

See how traffic calming works before implementation. 
With PTV Vissim, you can simulate traffic calming measures and analyze their real-world effects on speed reduction, safety, and flow.  

Protected lanes for cyclists and pedestrians

Protected bike lanes use buffers and vertical elements, such as medians, curbs, or flexible delineators, to physically separate cyclists from motor traffic. According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), converting traditional bike lanes into protected lanes reduces motor vehicle-bike crashes by over 50%. Indeed, streets with protected bike lanes saw 90% fewer injuries per mile than those without bike infrastructure. 

Studies consistently show that adding protected bike lanes improves safety for all road users. In New York City, protected bike lanes reduced injuries to all street users by 56%, including a 57% reduction for cyclists and 29% for pedestrians. 

Want to assess the impact of protected bike lanes in your city? 
With PTV Vissim, you can simulate detailed interactions between cyclists, pedestrians, and vehicles and evaluate how protected infrastructure improves safety and flow for everyone. 

In addition to physical separation, cities are also experimenting with visual enhancements to improve safety. For example, the City of Munich is currently running a pilot project that tests colored pavement treatments through bike lanes at bus stops. The goal is to enhance cyclist visibility and reduce conflicts with boarding and alighting passengers.

The initiative is strongly supported by Sofia Salek de Braun, Public Relations Coordinator for Road Safety in Munich: 

"If we all show a little more consideration for one another, we can prevent traffic accidents before they happen."

Intersection redesign and daylighting

Improving intersection visibility, often referred to as daylighting, plays a crucial role in urban road safety. Daylighting involves strategically removing visual obstructions near crosswalks, such as parked vehicles, to significantly enhance sightlines between drivers and pedestrians. According to the Federal Highway Administration, this straightforward yet effective technique can reduce pedestrian-related crashes by as much as 30% 

Typically, daylighting is achieved by restricting parking spaces within approximately 6-8 meters ( 20-25 feet) of intersections. Cities often use bollards, planters, or bike racks as physical barriers, not only preventing obstruction but also contributing positively to the urban streetscape. This targeted approach to intersection design underscores the broader goal of creating safer, more inclusive environments for all road users. 

Ready to improve intersection safety in your city? Use PTV Vistro to efficiently model, analyze, and evaluate daylighting and other intersection redesign measures. 

Intelligent signal control and road safety analytics

While physical infrastructure such as signs and markings contributes to safer roads, it's the intelligent coordination of traffic flows that unlocks lasting impact. Adaptive signal control systems, for example, dynamically adjust signal timings based on real-time traffic and weather data to reduce congestion and lower the risk of crashes. These systems help ensure smoother movement and safer intersections - particularly during peak hours or adverse conditions. 

With tools like PTV Vissim, cities can simulate real traffic situations and see how changes in signal timing, for example with Econolite’s EOS controller, affect traffic flow, congestion and safety.  Combined with data analytics from PTV Flows, planners can identify high-risk areas, monitor trends, and prioritize interventions based on real-time insights. This integrated approach helps cities move from reactive measures to proactive safety management. 

Implementing Vision Zero and Safe System Approaches

The bold premise behind Vision Zero is straightforward: traffic deaths are preventable, not inevitable. 

What is Vision Zero and how cities adopt it

Vision Zero originated in Sweden in the 1990s as a strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. This approach represents a fundamental shift from traditional safety methods by acknowledging that severe crashes are preventable. Initially, cities adopt Vision Zero through public commitments from high-ranking officials as mayors, city councils, or city managers, who set clear goals and timelines for eliminating roadway fatalities. Since 2014, the movement has gained significant momentum across the United States, with over 50 communities making formal commitments as of 2021. 

Key components of a Vision Zero Action Plan

Implementing Vision Zero requires more than just public commitment - it depends on a clear, coordinated plan. The core elements of a vision zero action plan are:

  • Political commitment from leadership with public policy outlining actions and timelines
  • Multi-disciplinary collaboration including representatives from transportation, public health, police, and planning departments
  • Data-driven approach using reliable road safety analysis to prioritize resources
  • Community engagement with meaningful input from residents most affected by unsafe streets
  • Transparent reporting with regular updates on progress and challenges

Want to learn how cities can turn Vision Zero from ambition into action?
Download our Vision Zero white paper to explore proven strategies, data insights, and real-world examples that demonstrate how municipalities can build safer streets for everyone.

Safe System principles in urban environments

The Safe System approach forms the foundation of successful Vision Zero implementation. This framework operates on six key principles: 

  1. Death and serious injuries are unacceptable
  2. Humans make mistakes
  3. Humans are vulnerable
  4. Responsibility is shared 
    (Traffic safety is not only the responsibility of individual road users, but also of system designers, such as: Urban planners, Road authorities, Vehicle manufacturers, Policymakers, Law enforcement)
  5. Safety is proactive
  6. Redundancy is crucial 
    (Traffic safety should not rely on a single measure. Multiple, overlapping safety layers are needed to prevent serious injuries or deaths when human errors occur)

The Safe System approach identifies five mutually reinforcing elements: safe road users, safe vehicles, safe speeds, safe roads, and post-crash care. These elements work together to create a transport system that anticipates human error and minimizes the consequences of mistakes. This is particularly critical in complex urban environments where diverse modes of transport intersect.

Successful implementation of Vision Zero on city-level

Several cities demonstrate Vision Zero's effectiveness through road safety data analysis and proactive interventions. Sweden has reduced severe injuries and deaths by half since implementation. New York City saw a 44% drop in pedestrian deaths and 27% decline in overall traffic fatalities since adopting Vision Zero in 2014. Jersey City achieved zero traffic deaths in 2022 through tactical interventions across six corridors. Edmonton reduced serious injuries by 17% and traffic deaths by 41% in just three years through comprehensive signage improvements and intersection redesigns.

Tools for proactive traffic safety management

Effective urban road safety doesn’t end with identifying risks - it’s about anticipating risks and preventing crashes before they happen. Today, cities are increasingly turning to smart tools and data-driven technologies to support this shift from reactive to proactive safety management. From infrastructure audits to real-time monitoring and predictive analytics, a new generation of solutions is helping urban planners make informed, timely, and targeted decisions.

Road safety audits and risk assessment tools

One of the most effective ways to proactively identify and mitigate risk is through Road Safety Audits (RSAs). These structured assessments, conducted by qualified experts, evaluate planned or existing road infrastructure with a focus on eliminating potential safety hazards before they lead to crashes. RSAs are designed to detect potential hazards before projects are built or to spot overlooked dangers in existing layouts.

When implemented consistently, RSAs deliver measurable results. Recent international research confirms their strong return on investment. A study by Austroads, cited by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, analyzed nine RSAs and found benefit-cost ratios ranging from 3:1 to 242:1, with 75% of implemented recommendations showing ratios above 10:1. These figures highlight how RSAs can be a highly effective tool for targeting safety improvements where budgets are limited.

From early design stages to post-implementation reviews, RSAs help ensure that safety remains a core priority in every step of infrastructure development.

Want to integrate safety reviews into every stage of your infrastructure planning?
Use PTV Vistro to evaluate intersection design concepts and simulate impacts before implementation, ensuring safety is built in from the start.

Real-time monitoring and AI-based alerts

Beyond design and audits, real-time traffic monitoring has become a critical tool for urban safety management. With the increasing deployment of IoT sensors, traffic cameras, and connected vehicles, cities can now detect risks as they emerge, not just after a crash has occurred.

Modern AI-driven safety systems can identify high-risk behaviors such as speeding, red-light violations, wrong-way driving, or near-miss interactions, often in real time. This type of real-time insight is especially valuable at intersections, where 25% of traffic fatalities in the U.S. occur.

These technologies enable a shift from reactive enforcement to proactive risk detection, giving cities the opportunity to intervene with targeted countermeasures exactly where and when they’re needed most.

Want to turn real-time risk detection into real-world action?
With PTV Flows, you can monitor traffic conditions live, identify safety-critical situations as they happen, and prioritize data-driven interventions. This functionality is powered by AI and multimodal traffic data.

Solutions for road safety analysis and proactive road safety work

Ready to improve road safety in your area?

Would you like to talk to an expert and discuss road safety in your city or region? Get in touch with us and we will find a way to support you with your vision zero approach. 

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Examples of successfully improving road safety

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