First principles,second hand: Perceptions and interpretations of vision zero in Norway

The article discusses the Norwegian version of the Swedish road safety concept Vision Zero, and how it has been interpreted and developed in its Norwegian context. Vision Zero has attracted considerable interest and support in many parts of the world, and it seems likely that the Vision Zero philosophy will continue to be a strong influence on international road safety work. It is not a given, however, that a vision will have the same kind of impact outside of the country and context where it was first developed. We briefly describe the official Norwegian documents of the vision, the main part of the article, however, is based on interviews with various actors in the Norwegian road safety system, in order to find how the vision is interpreted and perceived among those working with transport and road safety. Interviewees include politicians, representatives for the National Public Roads Administration, Council for Road Safety and Police, as well as NGOs. We find that the interpretative flexibility of the vision and relative lack of public debate have created a situation where actors focus on different aspects of the vision, and on different levels, from theoretical questions of ethics to specific practical questions of implementation. On the whole, it seems that the connection between the different levels of the vision are somewhat tenuous, and in this situation actors are relatively free to construct their own interpretation, rather than building one shared vision. While the modified Norwegian approach may very well prove effective, it nevertheless raises the question of what a “Vision Zero” approach means.