Traffic safety in Sweden

Mats Petersson

Swedish Road Administration

History• 1997 the Road Traffic

Safety Bill founded on "Vision Zero" was passed by a large majority in the Swedish Parliament. This represents an entirely new way of thinking with respect to road traffic safety.

Goal• The long term goal is

that no-one shall be killed or seriously injured within the Swedish road transport system.

Vision Zero: a Safe Traffic ConceptVision Zero: a Safe Traffic Concept

Vision Zero ≠ Zero Fatalities(At least not only)

Vision Zero = 5 dimensions(or more?)

1. vision for many stakeholders

2. ethical platform

3. shared responsibility

4. safety philosophy

5. driving forces for change

Vision for many stakeholders

• Traffic safety is a shared responsibility for many stakeholders

• A joint vision is a powerful tool to focus the work• A vision sets out a future desired situation - not a step

by step action with no definition of it’s end point

Ethical platform

• Human life and health is paramount• Life and health can not, in the long run, be traded

against other benefits• Mobility is a function of the safety level

Shared responsibility

• Historically main responsibility on the road user• In Vision Zero the responsibility is shared between

road users and system designers

System designers = everyone that influences the design, function and use of the road

transport system• politicians• community planners• road managers • vehicle manufacturers• health sector• transport companies and everyone who

professionally uses roads and streets• police• rescue forces• and more

“Rule of Science”

“The biomechanical tolerance of the human is the limiting factor for the road transport system”

90 km/h 25 m

60 mph 80 feet

110 km/h 43 m

70 mph 130 feet

50 km/h 10 m

30 km/h 3 m

CENTRE GUARD RAILS

On existing 13m wide roads and freeways

SAFE ROAD AREAS

Design for people leaving the road

ROUNDABOUTS

Intersection with problemsFocus on crashes results in signals

Focus on injuries results in roundabouts

RIGHT SPEED

Vehicles, roads and speeds must match

TRAVEL POLICY IN COMPANIES

Everyone company has a responsibility to assure safety

SAFE TRANSPORTS

Everyone buying or selling transports has a responsibility to assure safety

Road safety is a management matter

• More than 25% of all fatal workplace accidents in Sweden are traffic accidents

• Employers are responsible for minimising the accident risk for employees and safeguarding their health

• Swedish Work Environment Authority has joined the road safety efforts

Other things

• Speedcameras• ISA – speed warning systems i cars• Alcoloc in cars• Bikelanes• Traffic calming• And more

System designers responsibilityAn example : What

The Swedish Taxi Association• High seat belt use• Keep speed limits• No driving under influence

System designers responsibilityAn example : How

The Swedish Taxi Association is prepared to• Retrofit of seat belt reminders• Average speed measurement using cameras• Retrofit of alcohol starter inter-lock

Post-office vansSpeeding at 50 km/h

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

All > 50 km/h 51-60 km/h 61-70 km/h 71-80 km/h Över 80 km/h

2003

2004

2005

Källa NTF

Traffic safety in Sweden

Mats Petersson

Swedish Road Administration

Mats.Petersson@vv.se

www.vv.se