In Chicago, more than 2,000 people are killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents each year, with an average of five serious injuries each day and one death every three days. The City of Chicago has been looking to lower the number of traffic deaths and injuries that occur, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently released the city’s Vision Zero plan, which has a goal of reducing deaths from car crashes by 20 percent and serious injuries by 35 percent by the year 2020. The plan’s ultimate goal is to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries altogether by 2026.

A Vision of Traffic Safety

Vision Zero is an international project that began in Sweden in the 1990s. Because of its success throughout Europe, the plan is now being put into effect across the United States. Chicago is joining cities such as New York, San Francisco, and Seattle in implementing these safety goals.

When you were in grade school, you may have played the game where you fervently attempted to walk on a cracked sidewalk without stepping on any cracks? You may have even joined in the sing-song chorus of “step on a crack, break your mama’s back!” Although this superstition is one of a long line of old wives’ tales, there is an increased risk of injury due to cracks in the sidewalk. Although it may not break your unsuspecting mother’s back, a crack in an unkempt sidewalk may, in fact, result in personal injuries.

Statistics of Sidewalk Injuries

Cracks, uneven payment, unexpected rises, potholes, debris, and ice and snow can all result in tripping, slipping, and falling on sidewalks. Although in many cases, a scrape or a bruise may be the worst of the injuries, other cases may cause broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions, or even death. According to federal estimates, the six most common causes of pedestrian and bicyclist injuries include:

Parking lots and garages can be dangerous for pedestrians, who have to navigate tight confines while sharing the space with much larger vehicles. Slip and fall accidents often occur in poorly maintained parking lots, and the hazard is compounded by the number of surrounding cars, whose drivers often do not pay adequate attention to those around them.

Pavement Hazards

Slip and fall injuries are frequent occurrences in parking lots and on sidewalks. Common hazards include: