The city of Boulder typically has more than 3,000 traffic collisions a year, with those collisions resulting in an average of 60 serious injuries and seven to ten fatalities. When an auto accident occurs, lives are often derailed—a death from an auto accident takes a loved one away from his or her family, cutting short a life, while a serious injury can prevent the injured person from returning to work, making a living, or even living a life that is remotely close to what it was prior to the accident.

What Is “Toward Vision Zero”?

In 2014, the Transportation Master Plan, known as Toward Vision Zero, was implemented as a part of Boulder’s Transportation Master Plan. The Plan uses a data-driven approach to increasing the safety of the streets of Boulder, with an ultimate goal of zero traffic-related fatalities and zero serious injuries from traffic collisions. The belief behind Toward Vision Zero is that most traffic accidents are the result of human error, therefore preventable, and that even one fatality is one too many. And, of course, if you are a family member of the person killed in a traffic collision, or you are the person whose life changed in an instant because of the serious injuries you sustained from an auto accident, you would likely agree with this sentiment.

Data-Driven Tracking of All Auto Accidents

Boulder joins other cities across the United States who are also working toward the goal of zero serious injuries or fatalities resulting from traffic accidents. The goal will be reached through safe street design, enforcement of traffic laws, strong community partnerships, and every single driver who drives on the streets of Boulder. Boulder has been tracking all auto accidents in the city in order to determine where collisions occur most often, and even where “close calls” occur. In conjunction with Colorado’s Vision Zero Traffic Fatality Plan, a new educational campaign which was aimed at enlisting all members of the community in the goal, was also launched.

Further Reading: Was the Amtrak Accident Another Case of Distracted Driving?

How You Can Do Your Part

Boulder city employees expect to work hand-in-hand with community members to reach the goal of zero traffic fatalities, and when each individual makes a good choice, this goal is more likely to be reached. Individuals in the city must work toward the following:

• Never drive, walk or cycle when you are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
• Remember that a text can always wait, and a life is not worth a text.
• Remember that motorcycles are more difficult to see than cars and trucks. Bikers can help drivers by driving in a predictable manner and following the speed limit.
• Always come to a complete stop at intersections, and carefully look both ways, particularly for pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
• Make sure you leave plenty of space between your car and the car in front of you. Rear-end accidents are the most common type of auto accident, and while they often occur at lower speeds, they can nonetheless result in serious injuries.
• Avoid all distractions while driving.

Working Together to Eliminate Distracted Driving

When community members realize the importance of working together to decrease the number of auto accidents in their city, the numbers will begin to decrease. Distracted driving is one of the most serious threats to the safety of our family members, our friends, and ourselves. While the laws concerning the use of cell phones and other types of electronic devices while driving continue to increase in the severity of penalties, there are other types of distracted driving behaviors which must also be curtailed.  Make a commitment to only drive when you get behind the wheel—every single time. That commitment, when made by every driver in the city, will eventually result in a year with no auto accident fatalities.

Contact Our Northern Colorado Personal Injury Attorneys Today

If you have been injured in a car accident in Broomfield, Northglenn, or anywhere in Northern Colorado, you will need an experienced Northern Colorado injury attorney on your side from the very start. At Hull & Zimmerman, P.C., our committed personal injury lawyers are dedicated to the belief that everyone deserves justice. Contact us at (303) 423-1770 or (866) 385-3505.

Our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience representing injured accident victims in Broomfield, Arvada, Superior, Lafayette, Louisville, Erie, Brighton, Commerce City, Northglenn, Westminster, Thornton, Longmont, and throughout Colorado.