'Vision Zero' Requires More Data in Washington, D.C.

Martin Di Caro delves into the prospect of achieving a vision zero target to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2024. After describing the conditions of a particularly dangerous section of the bicycle track that runs down the media of Pennsylvania Avenue, Di Caro notes that the example indicates a larger issue: that Washington, D.C. lacks the data to achieve its vision zero goal.

"In a policy paper distributed to the mayor’s office, D.C. Council, DDOT, MPD, and Department of Motor Vehicles, the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) outlined the inadequacies with the police department’s current crash reporting form, which does not meet standards established by multiple federal safety agencies, known as Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC)," reports Di Caro.

WABA is advocating for D.C. to "follow the lead of other Vision Zero cities to collect comprehensive data, publicize the location of crashes on a weekly basis, and integrate crash reports with medical records to determine why certain roads and intersections lead to the most serious injuries."

District Department of Transportation has data collection on its to-do list, with one of four working groups working to implement vision zero policies focuses specifically on data.