Durham Vision Zero

A Strategic Road Safety Action Plan for Durham Region

Durham Region is committed to creating safer roads for drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and all road users through Durham Vision Zero.

Vision Zero is founded on a simple principle: no loss of life or serious injury on our roads is acceptable. Through a collaborative approach involving engineering, education, enforcement, policy, and partnerships, Durham Region and its road safety partners work to proactively reduce the risk of collisions and create a transportation system that is safer for everyone.

In 2019, Durham Region launched its first Strategic Road Safety Action Plan (SRSAP) to guide road safety improvements across the Region. The plan established a Vision Zero framework, identified priority road safety issues, and outlined a series of actions aimed at reducing fatal and injury collisions.

The Plan focused on engineering, education, enforcement, partnerships, and policy initiatives designed to reduce fatalities and injuries and improve safety for all road users.

Definition of Vision Zero

Vision Zero is an approach in road safety thinking that originated in Sweden in 1997, and has been adopted in various forms around the world. It can be summarized in one sentence: no loss of life resulting from a motor vehicle collision is acceptable. The road system needs to keep us moving, and must also be designed to protect us at every turn by preventing collisions from occurring and designing the road network to minimize the consequences of collisions that do occur.

With Vision Zero as a guiding principle, safety is prioritized over factors such as cost, speed, delay, level of service, and convenience, factors upon which decisions were traditionally made.

Vision and goal

Vision: Zero people killed or injured across all modes of transportation.

Goal: The Strategic Road Safety Action Plan established a goal of achieving a minimum 10 per cent reduction in fatal and injury collisions over a five-year period.

Emphasis areas

Through research, engagement, data analysis and stakeholder input, Durham Region has identified eight emphasis areas to focus on improving road safety.

1. Intersections

Collisions at intersections form the single largest emphasis area. Collisions caused by turning movements are the most common types of collisions at intersections in the Region—representing approximately one third of all fatal and injury collisions at intersections.

2. Aggressive driving

Aggressive driving actions include speeding, driving too fast for conditions, following too close, disobeying traffic control, and failing to yield the right-of-way.

Approximately one person a day is killed in a car crash involving speed and loss of control. Speeding is defined as driving over the speed limit, driving too fast for road conditions, or racing. The faster you drive, the more distance you will need to stop safely. At all times, keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you.

The fines and penalties for speeding depend on how many kilometres you are over the speed limit.

Stunt driving and street racing are forms of aggressive driving. Stunt driving includes speeding 40km/h or more above the limit where the maximum is less than 80km/h, driving in a way that prevents other vehicles from passing, intentionally cutting off another vehicle or driving too close to another vehicle.

Street racing includes two or more motor vehicles driving in a way that indicates the drivers are competing, chasing another motor vehicle, and/or changing lanes repeatedly at a high rate of speed and weaving through traffic.

Drivers involved in stunt driving or street racing are subject to face several consequences, which can include an immediate 30-day driver's license suspension, an immediate 14-day vehicle impoundment at roadside and/or a jail term of up to six months, amongst other penalties.

Additional information on aggressive driving, including penalties, can be found by visiting the speeding and aggressive driving section on Ontario's website, or by viewing the Highway Traffic Act (HTA)

3. Distracted driving

Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of injury and death on Ontario roads and was also indicated as a top priority in the public survey. Approximately 25 per cent of all fatal and injury collisions in Durham are due to distracted driving.

4. Young drivers

Young drivers aged 16 to 25 years are the single age group with the largest number of collisions from 2012 to 2016. Inexperience and driving beyond the driver's skill level are the primary reasons why young drivers have a higher chance of being involved in a collision.

5. Pedestrians

Fifty three per cent of pedestrian-involved collisions occur at signalized intersections. In 69 per cent of pedestrian collisions, the pedestrian is walking with the right-of-way. Pedestrian collisions almost always result in injury, often serious.

6. Impaired driving

Impaired driving means driving a vehicle while you are affected by alcohol or drugs. Vehicles include cars, trucks, boats, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles.

The penalties for drug impaired and alcohol impaired driving are the same.

Even small amounts of a drug can affect your ability to drive safely. It's illegal to drive impaired whether it's from over-the-counter medication, prescription drugs, alcohol or drugs (including marijuana).

Marijuana affects your ability to drive safely. This is because the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana can affect your co-ordination, reaction time, attention, decision-making, and ability to judge distances. The effects of marijuana can last for more than 24 hours.

Driving after using marijuana is not safer than driving after drinking alcohol. Using marijuana and other drugs together (such as alcohol or opioids) increases the effects of the drugs and can increase the risk of injury or death from a car crash.

Impaired driving collisions are those coded on the police report with the following attributes:

Driver had been drinking
Driver's ability impaired due to alcohol use
Driver's ability impaired due to drug use
Driver's medical or physical disability
Driver is fatigued

In recent years, Durham Region has seen a decrease in impaired driving collisions, however the legalization of marijuana may affect this trend.

7. Cyclists

There has been a steady increase of cyclist collisions in Durham in recent years. This may be attributed to a higher ridership within the Region. Most collisions involve young cyclists aged 11 to 20. More than 50 per cent of the cyclist collisions occurred in June, August, and September.

View additional information on bike and helmet safety.

8. Commercial vehicles

There were 370 collisions involving commercial motor vehicles in Durham in the five-year study period; 20 per cent of fatal collisions in Ontario involve a commercial motor vehicle.

Read the Strategic Road Safety Action Plan

Countermeasures

To reduce the number of fatal and injury-causing collisions on our roads, the Durham Vision Zero Strategic Road Safety Action Plan outlines countermeasures that focus on the eight emphasis areas. Countermeasures are the specific actions that will be taken by Durham Region and its road safety partners. Some of the key countermeasures are detailed in the plan, and will be strategically implemented over the next five years.

Roundabouts Pedestrian Crossovers Automated Speed Enforcement Red Light Cameras Line Painting Crossrides Traffic Control Signals Radar Feedback Signs Positive Offset Left Turns

Additional Countermeasures:

Community Safety Zones
Leading Pedestrian Intervals
Signalized Bicycle Crossrides
Protected Left-Turn Phases
Road Safety Education Campaigns
Targeted Enforcement Initiatives

Durham Vision Zero Report Card (2019-2024)

Following the completion of the first five-year implementation period, Durham Region evaluated the effectiveness of the program and published a public report summarizing what was implemented, the results achieved, lessons learned, and future priorities. The evaluation found that fatal and injury collisions reduction exceeded the Plan's target.

The report evaluates the effectiveness of Durham Region's Vision Zero program using collision data, implementation records, and safety performance measures collected during the 2019-2024 implementation period.

Read the Durham Vision Report Card (PDF)

Durham Vision Zero Results

Key Results:

✅ More than 250 road safety improvements and initiatives implemented across regional and municipal road networks.

✅ 17% reduction in fatal and injury collisions on regional roads.

✅ 11% reduction in fatal and injury collisions across Durham Region overall.

✅ Exceeded the Strategic Road Safety Action Plan target of a 10% reduction in fatal and injury collisions.

✅ 54 education and awareness activities delivered.

✅ Constructed two roundabouts.

✅ Introduced Automated Speed Enforcement and Red-Light Camera programs.

✅ Several new pedestrian, cycling, and intersection safety improvements implemented across Durham Region.

✅ Introduced area wide 40km/h zones in key areas.

✅ Various enforcement activities conducted to target aggressive driving and other emphasis areas.

Building on the success of the first Strategic Road Safety Action Plan, Durham Region will continue to advance Vision Zero through ongoing evaluation, collaboration, education, enforcement, engineering improvements, and evidence-based decision-making.

What can you do?

Creating safer roads is a shared responsibility. Whether you are driving, walking, cycling, rolling, or taking transit, you can help make our roads safer by:

Staying alert and adapting to changing conditions such as weather, traffic, construction, and unexpected situations.
Following traffic signs, signals, and speed limits.
Avoiding distractions and ensuring you are fit to travel before getting behind the wheel.
Watching for pedestrians, cyclists, children, older adults, and other vulnerable road users.
Being patient, respectful, and considerate of others using the road.
Encouraging safe travel habits among family members, friends, and your community.
Supporting road safety initiatives and staying informed about ways to travel safely.

Every safe decision matters. By working together, we can continue building on the progress made through Durham Vision Zero and create a safer transportation system for everyone.