DEKRA Vision Zero 2022
The prize for 9 years without a fatal traffic accident was won in 2022 by the Finnish city of Mikkeli
The Finnish city of Mikkeli was awarded the DEKRA Vision Zero award. Road safety experts from a leading international expert organization appreciate the city's success in not having a single fatal traffic accident for nine consecutive years (from 2012 to 2020). DEKRA presented the award for the sixth time at its annual reception in Brussels. Topiantti Äikäs, director of spatial planning in the city of Mikkeli, received the award from DEKRA director Stan Zurkiewicz.
DEKRA experts continuously evaluate the latest available accident statistics for the interactive world map at
www.dekra-vision-zero.com
. For a total of 26 countries in Europe, America, Asia and Oceania, the map shows those cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants that have achieved the goal of zero traffic fatalities in at least one year since 2009. Mikkeli has a population of approximately 54,000.
"In Mikkeli, we have been working on road safety for many years. Mikkeli is a normal, medium-sized Finnish city where the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, cars and other transport are taken into account equally in urban planning and development. This award is a concrete prize for this long-term goal we are working towards," said Äikäs.
"Our award winners and many other cities around the world prove time and time again that Vision Zero is possible," said DEKRA CEO Stan Zurkiewicz. “Approximately 1,200 cities have achieved zero traffic fatalities in at least one year; and many have done so for several years. But the fact remains that one person who dies on the road is one too many.” We must continue our efforts to move closer to the goal of zero traffic deaths in more and more cities and also outside urban residential areas, Zurkiewicz stated.
In many places, these efforts are underway. For example, the Greek government – partly inspired by DEKRA's Vision Zero map – has set itself the goal of achieving zero fatal accidents by 2025 in at least 40 cities of over 50,000 inhabitants each year in the current draft of its road safety strategy. By 2030, the goal is 49 cities.
In Finland, Mikkeli is one of 18 cities that have achieved the goal of zero traffic fatalities in at least one year since 2009. It is the only Finnish city that has reached "zero" for ten years.
DEKRA entered the vehicle inspection market in Finland in October 2021. One of the DEKRA inspection stations is located in Mikkeli