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Orange County

Vision Zero - Reducing traffic fatalities in Orange County

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Each year, more than 40,000 people are needlessly killed on American streets.

Unfortunately, our culture has considered traffic deaths and severe injuries to be the inevitable side effect of modern life. This loss of life creates a tragic toll, extending past personal loss into nuclear and extended families.

For the past few years, the Orlando area has been number one for fatalities. While we would like to celebrate being only 8th on the 2022 Dangerous by Design Report, we are still more deadly than the #1 area five years ago (3.28 deaths per 100,000 population).

What are Orange County's statistics on fatalities?

Orange County fatalities for January through May of 2022 already include vehicle fatalities - 25; bicycle fatalities - 1; motorcycle fatalities - 12; pedestrian fatalities - 21; and hit and run fatalities - 6. This is totally unacceptable.

So what is Vision Zero? Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safe and healthy mobility for everyone. The program is gaining steam throughout major U.S. cities and key municipalities. Orange County Government recently voted to adopt the national program.

Vision Zero includes the following goals: traffic deaths are preventable, integrate human failure into engineering plans, prevent fatal & severe crashes, utilize a systems approach, and saving lives is not expensive.

Proven safety countermeasures include: speed management, safer roadway departure, intersection improvements, focus on pedestrians and cyclists, and regularly conducting roadway safety audits.

Engineering strategies include rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, raised crosswalks, additional time for pedestrian crossing, refuge islands in the middle of highways, road diets, and crosswalk visibility enhancements.

The next steps include developing an integrated action plan for public works improvements. This integration will include a significant effort at community outreach as individual driver distraction cannot be underestimated. Public works staff uses the 4E approach: Engineering (road and vehicle design, road planning, and land use planning); Education (raising awareness, teaching, and training drivers and pedestrians); Enforcement (prevention, policing, and mitigation of effects); and Emergency Response (incident response, fire & rescue, an hazardous materials)

As your county commissioner, I plan to offer to my Neighborhood Leader's Groups a session on Making our Roads Safer on October 8th. At this meeting, I will also announce the winner of the Corridor of the Year Contest. Competing are Sheeler Road representing Southern Apopka, Thompson Road representing Wekiwa Springs, and Lester Road representing Northern Apopka.

If you would like to participate in the Corridor of the Year Contest or join my Neighborhood Leaders' Program, please contact Kathy Marsh in the District 2 Office at 407.836.5850 or District2@ocfl.net.

Commissioner Christine Moore, Vision Zero, Orange County, Making our Roads Safer

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  • MamaMia

    Wow, we are over in Lake County, and saw a RV motorhome burning up, flames going up in the air, with black smoke all around, and vehicles having to drive through the black smoke. It was very apparent that the fire started around the back wheel, and was starting to burn the rest of the RV. I wonder what would cause that kind of a fire? Several Lake County fire engines headed that way! Maybe a brake overheated?

    Friday, September 2, 2022 Report this