Adopting a Safe Systems Approach to Road Safety: Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementa- tion Research to Examine Injury Prevention and Transportation Professionals’ Perceptions of Vision Zero in Five Canadian Municipalities

The aim of this research is to highlight the perceptions and experiences of injury prevention and transportation professionals regarding Vision Zero and how the adoption of this strategy influences their work. Our results are useful to road safety researchers and practitioners who are interested in barriers and facilitators to implementing Vision Zero in the Canadian context.

Road traffic collisions are a leading cause of injury in Canada. Vision Zero is a Safe Systems Approach (SSA) that accommodates human vulnerability and error, with the goal of zero deaths and injuries.

This paper enhances knowledge of Vision Zero in Canada and examines key barriers and facilitators using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Qualitative data were collected from injury prevention and transportation professionals in five municipalities: Vancouver, Calgary, Peel Region, Toronto, and Montréal. Interviews and virtual focus groups gathered data from participants across sectors: policy/decision-making, transportation, public health, non-profit, university researcher, community associations, and private. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Data mapped onto six CFIR constructs across three domains: 1) Innovation, 2) Outer Setting, and 3) Implementation Process. Innovation Complexity, Local Attitudes, Local Conditions, and Assessing Context were identified as barriers and facilitators. Innovation Evidence Base and Partnerships and Connections were identified solely as facilitators.

Vision Zero implementation is complex and requires evidence. Local Attitudes and Local Conditions highlight the importance of partnerships for Vision Zero to be accepted and understood. Further, Vision Zero is a facilitator for road safety work. The CFIR domains and constructs elevate our understanding of how Vision Zero is implemented. Results are useful to municipalities interested in adopting and implementing Vision Zero in Canada.