Continued improvement in Swedish road safety

Sweden’s road safety continues to improve as highlighted by the latest official statistics. These show that a 9% drop in road fatalities for 2013 compared with the previous year. In all 260 people were killed in road crashes on Sweden’s roads during 2013. The official data was compiled by Trafikanalys and to put this in context, Sweden’s rate of road-related fatalities is now at its lowest level since 1944. It is worth noting that in 1944, there were comparatively few registered motor vehicles in Sweden whi
April 11, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Sweden’s road safety continues to improve as highlighted by the latest official statistics. These show that a 9% drop in road fatalities for 2013 compared with the previous year. In all 260 people were killed in road crashes on Sweden’s roads during 2013. The official data was compiled by Trafikanalys and to put this in context, Sweden’s rate of road-related fatalities is now at its lowest level since 1944. It is worth noting that in 1944, there were comparatively few registered motor vehicles in Sweden while wartime fuel shortages meant that distances travelled were very low. Bearing in mind the massive increase in vehicle ownership and huge jump in total distances travelled, this drop in fatalities is extremely significant. But the reasons for this drop in fatal crashes have not been revealed and until this information is available, any benefits of best practice methodology for road safety to help other European nations will be limited. Sweden has consistently had one of the best records on road safety of any country in the world over a period of years. Penalties for driving offenders are tough and enforcement measures are regular and consistent.

Related Content

  • FMCSA criticised for not promoting significant truck safety improvements
    May 1, 2012
    American Trucking Associations president and CEO Bill Graves has praised the efforts of the nation's truck drivers, safety directors and law enforcement officers for their contribution to the continued progress in the industry's safety record. "Based on the latest report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), fatal crashes involving a large truck have fallen 31 per cent from 2007 to 2009 and crashes resulting in injury have fallen 30 per cent," Graves said following a review of FMCSA'
    Read More
  • Worrying decline in road safety in US
    July 4, 2016
    There has been a worrying increase in traffic fatalities in the US, according to the latest available information. The data has been released by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), showing that traffic fatalities for 2015 were 7.7% higher than for 2014. Road deaths reached 35,200 in 2015, compared with 32,675 in 2014. The data reveals a disquieting trend as the US road fatality rate for 2015 was the highest for seven years. While the total distance travelled by US drivers increase
    Read More
  • US road crashes increasing for 2015?
    August 19, 2015
    There is mounting concern in the US at the high number of crashes during 2015. For the first seven months of 2015, there has been a 14% increase in the number of traffic fatalities compared with the same period in 2014. The data shows that there were 18,630 road deaths in this period, with over 2.2 million serious injuries. This is a notable increase and should the trend continue it will mean that 2015 will have had the highest rate of road deaths since 2007. The cause (or causes) of the increase in road de
    Read More
  • Police in Nepal hold road safety event
    September 10, 2014
    Nepal’s road traffic policing is improving to help tackle safety – information provided by World Highways correspondent Ram Krishna Wagle The police in Nepal recently held a road safety exhibition, aimed at reducing the casualty rate on the country’s road network.
    Read More

Highlighted Content