ROANOKE, Va. – A six-week safety campaign is wrapping up in Roanoke this week. But it’s just the beginning for Roanoke City’s new Vision Zero Safety Action Plan. The goal: zero deaths or serious injuries by 2035.
“Keep each other safe. It’s really about our community working together,” said Rob Issem, the city’s Vision Zero & Safe Streets Coordinator.
Issem is working to educate the public on when and how to report a traffic safety issue.
Active emergencies or traffic infractions should be reported to 911.
If you want to report a minor traffic safety concern, you can use the new ‘Near Miss Reporting’ feature on the free iRoanoke app. That data can help city leaders identify and fix problem areas before a crash occurs.
“Let’s go out there right now and take a look,” said Issem. “Are all the street lights there? Are the traffic signals functioning? Are the pedestrian signals functioning well?”
Toby Akers with the City of Roanoke E-911 Center said no call is too small.
“If a citizen isn’t sure what to do or if they just don’t know what avenue to take, we are always here to answer the call,” said Akers.
Within city limits, crashes, deaths and injuries are down year-to-date in 2024 compared to the same timeframe last year. Dropping from 1,158 to 930; 8 to 4; and 415 to 368, respectively.
But for the greater Roanoke region, the data is grim. According to the DMV, there have been 78 deadly crashes so far in 2024. That number is up from 59 for the same timeframe in 2023.
It’s a trend Issem hopes to reverse across the region.
“There’s a culture of safety that’s very powerful,” said Issem. “And we are really working hard to develop that in the City of Roanoke.”