By: Garcia  S.C.R. No. 42          (In the Senate - Filed March 10, 2017; March 22, 2017, read   first time and referred to Committee on Transportation;   April 18, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:  Yeas 9,   Nays 0; April 18, 2017, sent to printer.)Click here to see the committee vote    SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION     WHEREAS, Among states with populations greater than five   million, the State of Texas has the nation's second-highest rate of   traffic deaths per capita; and          WHEREAS, Every day, 10 people die on Texas roads, and 50   suffer debilitating, life-changing injuries in traffic accidents;   federal transportation laws already require each state to develop a   strategic highway safety plan that focuses the efforts of all   safety partners on the highest priority needs, but what Texas   requires is the unification of stakeholders in support of an   overarching program designed to end acceptance of traffic mayhem as   a normative occurrence; and          WHEREAS, In 1997, Sweden adopted Vision Zero, a systems   approach to enhancing traffic safety; it places core responsibility   for crashes on overall system design, addressing safety through   infrastructure design, vehicle technology, and enforcement; as a   result of this bold initiative, the Scandinavian nation now has one   of the lowest annual rates of road deaths in the world, with only 3   out of 100,000, roughly a quarter of the rate in the United States;   and          WHEREAS, Other European countries have significantly reduced   fatalities through Vision Zero initiatives, and Spain more than   halved its number of traffic deaths; in the United States, Vision   Zero has proven effective in many places, reducing fatalities by 40   percent or more in Minnesota, Utah, and Washington State; New York   City achieved a tremendous reduction in pedestrian fatalities,   which in 2014 fell to the lowest number since records began about a   century ago; and          WHEREAS, Vision Zero is based on four principles: ethics,   responsibility, system safety, and mechanisms for change; human   life and health are paramount, providers and regulators of road   traffic systems share responsibility with users, and systems should   take account of human fallibility to minimize opportunities for   error and the harm done when mistakes occur; finally, providers and   regulators must do their utmost to guarantee the safety of all   citizens, cooperating with road users, and all three elements must   be prepared to undergo necessary change; and          WHEREAS, Loss of life is not an acceptable price to pay for   mobility, and the state must take a more comprehensive approach to   traffic safety, guided by a zero-fatality goal; now, therefore, be   it          RESOLVED, That the 85th Legislature of the State of Texas   hereby direct the Texas Department of Transportation to adopt a   Vision Zero strategy to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries;   and, be it further          RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward an   official copy of this resolution to the chair of the Texas   Transportation Commission and the executive director of the Texas   Department of Transportation.     * * * * *