Bigger, heavier, higher … large SUVs and pickups pose serious safety threats to vulnerable road users
By Isabelle Joncas, B.A., Équiterre Abstract In Canada, the recent rise in the number of small trucks on our roads is phenomenal (a category that includes sport utility vehicles such as SUVs, pickups, mini-vans and crossovers). They are sold as practical, functional, safe and adventurous. With fewer compact models being offered in car dealerships, many […]
Attitudes and perceptions of traffic safety enforcement among police officers in Ontario
We spoke with Dr. Christine Wickens, a Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, who is working with the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals, about a recent two-phase study they have jointly initiated with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, with the support […]
The crucial role of traffic enforcement in a safe systems approach to road safety
By Detective Sergeant Chris Plante, York Regional Police (Ontario), Major Collision Investigations In the realm of road safety, it’s easy to get caught up in discussions about vehicle safety features and road design improvements. While these aspects are important and key elements of any road safety strategy, one often-overlooked component that plays a pivotal role […]
The role of equity in road safety and mobility interventions
Parachute interviewed Dr. Emily McCullogh, a postdoctoral fellow at York University in the Faculty of Health Science, working under the direction of Dr. Alison Macpherson and Dr. Sarah Richmond at Public Health Ontario. McCullogh conducted her doctoral work in the fields of sociology and philosophical ethics and examined care and caring within coach-athlete relationships in youth competitive sport; however, her […]
The role of technology and data in road safety and Vision Zero interventions
To gain a better understanding of the role of technology in implementing Vision Zero, we spoke with David Ferguson, the Manager of Traffic Services with the City of Brantford. With more than 20 years of experience in municipal transportation in five municipalities, David has led multiple projects related to roadway safety and Vision Zero. David supports […]
Why it is important to examine Vision Zero initiatives through a gender lens
By Kelley Teahen, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, Parachute. In her award-winning 2019 book Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men, author Caroline Criado Perez looks at how “a gender gap in data perpetuates bias and disadvantages women.” It should come as no surprise to people active in road safety planning that Perez has highlighted […]
The shocking pile of shoes
In late February 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the West was on the brink of moving into lockdown, I travelled to Stockholm to immerse myself in a different kind of epidemic — the scourge of traffic deaths and injuries.
Embracing a new decade of improved road safety goals
By Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO, Parachute. “Road safety is a necessity for health, climate, equity and prosperity. If children cannot walk or bicycle to school without risking their lives, we limit their access to education, good health and freedom, and consequently our hope for the future. If we cannot transport goods across a nation […]
Vision Zero: The Next Generation
An important step toward achieving zero fatalities and serious injuries on our roads is to create a new generation of drivers committed to improving their skills and reducing their chances of causing a serious crash.
Vision Zero International Handbook
Parachute is excited to be asked to contribute the Canadian chapter to this handbook, set to be published in spring 2020. Who is leading this project? Matts-Åke Belin, a leader of Vision Zero in Sweden since the early 1990s, and Belin’s Swedish colleagues, are the editors. Their purpose is to “gather our international experience we […]
The Canadian Vision Zero Landscape: A Parachute White Paper
Parachute is preparing a white paper, to be shared through the Parachute Vision Zero Network and presented at conferences, that will undertake an in-depth analysis of Vision Zero in Canada, examining where different regions of the country are on the continuum of concept to implementation and evaluation.
Engaging Youth as Community Actors: National Teen Driver Safety Week
Youth hold an important place within Vision Zero. For one, children and youth are among the most vulnerable road users. In Canada, young drivers die in crashes at a higher rate than any other age group[1]. Canadians aged 5 to 14 are at greater risk of being killed as a pedestrian than any other age group[2]. On the road to zero, many jurisdictions are making the safety of children and youth their first priority, as evidenced by Vision Zero for Youth.
Parachute launches “This was not an accident” Vision Zero awareness campaign
Donated billboards in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Montreal drive understanding that road collisions can be prevented.
Canadian Child Safety Report Card results
Provinces with strong evidence-based injury prevention policies have fewer child and youth hospitalizations and deaths from road-traffic-related causes.
Is the ability to operate a cell phone via Bluetooth influenced by the driver’s vehicle?
Martin Lavallière is a professor in the Department of Health Sciences (Kinesiology Program) at the University of Quebec in Chicoutimi. His research focuses on road safety, human factors and ergonomics and mobility and autonomy.
2018 Vision Zero Advocate Conference in Toronto
The 2018 Vision Zero Advocate Conference in Toronto February 28 – March 2 was a highly informative event, where Canadian and international experts – from government and major corporations, to grassroots advocates – came together to share their experiences and discuss “What’s next for Vision Zero?”
Cannabis research suggests feds’ pot laws a guessing game – by Ed Prutschi
For a government that promised to legislate using evidence-based science, the rapid approach of legalized marijuana in Canada is starting to look like a case study in blind faith.
Using Drones to Make Roads Safer
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or “drones” are being used by traffic engineers and road safety professionals to enhance data collection and road safety efforts. On September 8, 2017, we sat down with Mark Hearson, a Rhodes Scholar in civil engineering and Transport Infrastructure Specialist from Fireseeds North Infrastructure in Winnipeg, to discuss how drones are changing traditional approaches to road safety.
Technology, urbanism, and the car: What is the future of road safety?
How is technology changing? To who’s benefit? And what does this mean for Vision Zero?Well to begin with, the world is becoming more urban. By 2050 it’s expected that nearly 90% (87.6 to be exact) of Canada’s population will live in urban areas. This has city planners, architects, engineers and policy makers re-designing our cities to be more dense, mobile, green and economically vibrant.
An Interview with Operation Lifesaver
Operation Lifesaver (OL) is a not-for-profit that works to educate Canadians about rail safety.
Vision Zero: North Bay Road Safety Strategy
Pat Cliche and Staff Sgt. Rick Dubeau are Co-Chairs of the North Bay Road Safety Committee. Pat is also known to Parachute staff in her role as Northern Injury Prevention Coordinator (OIPRC). We interviewed them to find out more about how North Bay is incorporating Vision Zero into their community’s road safety approach.
An Interview with ATS & The Vision Zero Advocate Institute
The Vision Zero Advocate Institute is the natural evolution of 50 years of traffic safety solutions. Supported by ATS Traffic, the Institute is a network of coaches, experts and Vision Zero innovators.
Vision Zero Conference Stockholm
Valerie Smith, Director of Solutions at Parachute, had a great opportunity to attend the International Vision Zero Conference in Stockholm, Sweden June 14-15.
Vision Zero: What the numbers tell us
Thank you for a very successful launch of the Parachute Vision Zero Network. From partners signing up (by the hundreds!), to community organizations sharing our messages to governments getting engaged, we are thrilled with the response!We are pleased to announce our second Vision Zero Summit! SAVE THE DATE! The Summit will be taking place in Toronto on October 16th and 17th at the Marriott Downtown Eaton Centre Hotel.
An Interview with The Jessica Campaign
An interview with Jeannette Holman-Price of The Jessica Campaign. The Jessica Campaign (“TJC”) is a public advocacy for long overdue upgrades to motor vehicle safety standards and legislation across North America. Started in Canada following the preventable and needless death of 21-year-old Jessica Holman-Price, M.B., TJC continues to strive to become a leading force behind Canada’s Vision Zero Goals.
Vision Zero Cities 2017 Conference, New York City
The Vision Zero Cities 2017 Conference in New York City provided an inspirational and transformative experience, showcasing the Vision Zero Movement both in U.S. and internationally.
Message from our CEO
Our first blog marks the official launch of the Parachute Vision Zero Network. We discuss the development, goals and some of the resources that we will be publishing on a quarterly basis.