Traffic Taming in Brasília: a Revolution in Attitudes

Contact:
Nazareno Stanislau Affonso & Ana Júlia Pinheiro
The Institute of Sustainable Mobility - RUAVIVA
 
The Institute of Sustainable Mobility - RUAVIVA
UN Habitat best practice
Stockholm Partnerships case study

Traffic Taming in Brasília: a Revolution in Attitudes is the first Brazilian experience in the control of traffic violence. In the city of Brasília, the average vehicle speed was 90 kilometres per hour and there were 3 to 4 traffic deaths each day, almost half of them pedestrians. In response to public demand, the Government of the Federal District implemented a traffic safety program in 1995 that included the installation of 330 electronic speed-controlling devices, engineering work in critical locations, and the creation of a Traffic Division with 500 police officers.

Electronic speed-controlling devices had been used previously elsewhere but had met with strong resistance from the elite. In Brasília, resistance was minimized through the participation of the local media, which made the subject of traffic a priority. Correio Braziliense, which enjoys 90 per cent of the city's newspaper readership, published daily half-page traffic reports at no cost. The electronic speed-controlling devices were also installed and maintained at no cost by private companies, who received payment from the fines applied.

This program succeeded in creating a revolution in attitudes towards citizenship rights in traffic. This resulted in traffic speed reduction and respect for crosswalks, and a consequent reduction in traffic-related deaths. It created an innovative partnership between media, government and the public. This program acted in areas such as health, traffic, transportation, education, construction, finance and culture, and resulted in improved safety for cyclists and pedestrians. It was financed without costs for the population.

The program has been successfully copied in numerous other Brazilian cities, with significant decreases in traffic mortalities.

The Institute of Sustainable Mobility - RUAVIVA
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