End of 2024 Vision Zero Data

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 19, 2024

CONTACT:

Presley Connor (HSO/VZ) – (202) 923-5941; presley.connor@dc.gov

Progress Toward Vision Zero: The District Reduces Major Injuries, Tackles Rising Roadway Fatalities

(WASHINGTON, DC) – As 2024 comes to an end, the District of Columbia remains steadfast in its commitment to improving traffic safety and eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries on District roadways. While fatalities have increased in the post-COVID era, a promising decrease in major injuries illustrates progress towards the goal of Vision Zero.

Since 2021, the District has seen a consistent decline in traffic-related major injuries. This trend continued in 2024 as travel returns to pre-pandemic levels. As of December 17, 2024, these trends show:

• Major injuries across all modes are down 25.7% since 2021, with an average yearly decrease of 9.3%.

• Pedestrian major injuries have dropped an overall 23% since 2021, with an average yearly decrease of 8.2%.

• Compared to last year, bicyclist major injuries are down 18.8%, while Capital Bikeshare ridership continues to increase at record-breaking rates.

“We made progress in 2024, but there is work to be done,” says Charlie Willson, Director of the Vision Zero Office. “Every life lost on our streets is a tragedy, and we are using all the tools available to make Washington, D.C. a place where every road user can travel without fear of being injured or killed.”

Even with major injuries down, fatalities are up. As of December 17, 2024, 50 individuals have died on District roadways. Over 70% (36 of 50) of these fatalities are attributed to highly risky individual behaviors, which includes hit and runs, single vehicle crashes, and/or red light running. This is a stark comparison to the 29% (25 of 87) in the combined years of 2022 and 2023. Behavioral change and public education are a priority for reducing this type of fatality.[RJ1] [GH2] 

Under the Vision Zero commitment, any traffic-related fatality or injury is unacceptable, and the District is dedicated to implementing proven and innovative solutions to this problem, including:

Multi-Modal Infrastructure Improvement

• The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will have 25 miles of bus lanes completed or under construction by the end of 2025. Bus Priority Projects are holistic road safety projects that are proven to decrease crashes and injuries on selected corridors.

• When the Vision Zero commitment was made in 2014, the District had approximately five miles of protected bicycle lanes; today, there are 40 miles. Over the next five years, the District will add an additional 50 miles of bicycle lanes to its existing 114 miles.

• Over half of the High Injury Network is part of an active or completed DDOT project, and about 30% of the remaining streets are funded for future safety projects.

Public Education and Engagement Programs

• In partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), the Highway Safety Office (HSO) will distribute 1,500 motorcycle and bicycle helmets free of charge to individuals in the District in 2025.

• The HSO is teaming up with Impact Teen Drivers to recruit and train the District’s first cohort of Vision Zero Youth Ambassadors, focusing on multimodal peer-to-peer education.

Enhanced Enforcement Efforts

• With the help of the District’s first Law Enforcement Liaison, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will continue to conduct weekly checkpoints along the High Injury Network.

• The automated traffic safety camera program continues to see success, with ticketing rates continually dropping for all camera types. For example, speed cameras now only cite approximately one out of every 300 vehicles.

• In 2024, the Department of Public Works (DPW) increased its boot and tow teams from two to 10 with a focus on identifying and removing high-dollar scofflaw vehicles from District roadways. This work will continue to expand in 2025.

Post-Crash Care

• The Office of Unified Communications (OUC) has received funding for additional training of their 911 operators. This training will strengthen their skills in responding to crash situations.

• In 2025, the District’s Post-Crash Care Liaison, the first position of its kind in the nation, will begin work to coordinate crash-related EMS efforts.

“These programs and initiatives save lives,” says Rick Birt, Director of the Highway Safety Office. “The District is trying new things, as well as revisiting proven countermeasures, which I believe will lead us to our goal of zero roadway deaths and injuries.”

About Vision Zero

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser launched Vision Zero in 2014 to inspire and transform DC’s roadway safety efforts and set our sights on a goal of zero fatalities or serious injuries on our streets. Vision Zero is a global movement that sees traffic-related deaths and serious injuries as unacceptable and makes traffic safety the highest priority for transportation systems. The initiative takes a data-driven, all-hands-on-deck approach to addressing traffic safety issues facing our communities. It employs the use of a Safe Systems approach to acknowledge that traffic safety has layered components that, when working together, can reduce the frequency and severity of traffic crashes.

As of 2023, the Vision Zero Office and the Highway Safety Office are part of the Mayor’s Office, reflecting the multi-agency nature of our commitment.

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