London City Hall Greens

Vision Zero for London’s dangerous roads

Caroline Russell speaks with a London Cycling Campaign activist while standing over their bikes.

In 2023, nearly 4,000 Londoners were either injured or killed on London’s roads.

The City Hall Greens believe that number should be zero, which is where Vision Zero comes in.

Vision Zero for London aims to eliminate all deaths and serious injuries across our transport system. With that commitment in mind, the Mayor has aimed to ensure no one in our city will be killed in or by a London bus by 2030, and that all deaths and serious injuries are eliminated by 2041.

Now, there are many factors that go into deadly road collisions. Most will assume the speed of traffic, maybe lack of traffic signals, all play an important role. But those factors do not affect everyone the same: for Londoners living in our city’s most deprived areas, the likelihood of being killed or seriously injured in a road collision doubles.

As the Mayor edges closer to those 2030 and 2041 deadlines, it is essential to remember that road violence is not spread out evenly across our city, and therefore any solution will require tailored, community-driven responses.

In her 2024 report, Hit and Run: The Escalating Crisis on London’s Roads, Caroline Russell used her scrutiny powers to highlight the sad realities of London’s dangerous roads, and call attention to the boroughs most in need of urgent Mayoral attention.

A borough-by-borough graphic representation of the number of hit and runs in London by borough in 2021. The shading is variants of purple.
Number of hit and runs in London by borough in 2021, from Hit and Run: The Escalating Crisis on London’s Roads

Over their years of campaigning, the City Hall Greens have won critical investments needed to improve the state of London’s roads:

  • Enforcement dashboard – Siân Berry and Caroline Russell both successfully pushed the Mayor to enact a real-time Vision Zero enforcement dashboard to accurately capture traffic enforcement measures taken by police.
  • Motion on crossings – Proposed by Caroline Russell in March 2021, the successful Green motion called on the Mayor to review junctions where no priority was given to people walking and where there is the potential to introduce safety features by 2030. 
  • Know their names – Seconded by Caroline Russell, in 2022 the London Assembly agreed to mark World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims each year at the policing plenary with a moment of silence for road victims.

So whether you’re behind the wheel, cycling in a bike lane, or walking along the road, every Londoner deserves to travel safely across our city.