Sweden Considers Making Lower Speed Limits Permanent Amid Road Safety Concerns

Sweden's Transport Administration, Trafikverket, has recently lowered speed limits on various roads across the country, adjusting them to 40, 60, 80, and 100 km/h depending on road standards. Although presented as temporary measures, these new limits may become permanent as part of a broader strategy to enhance road safety, particularly where investing in improved infrastructure remains limited.

M Sverige, a prominent Swedish consumer organization focused on transport safety, advocates for the installation of more median barriers to prevent fatal head-on collisions, noting a worrying decline in the mileage of such protected roads—from about 25 miles to just 6 miles in recent years. Jacob Sidenvall from M Sverige points out that faster roads with separated lanes and higher speed limits, such as 120 km/h, tend to be safer due to greater safety margins. He calls for increased funding to improve median separations, especially on 80 km/h roads where the risk of deadly accidents remains high.

Trafikverket supports the view that correctly set speed limits can save lives and benefit the environment. They highlight that reducing speed from 90 to 80 km/h only increases travel time by about 50 seconds per mile, while a further decrease to 70 km/h adds around 60 seconds more. These findings underscore the balance between safety and travel efficiency guiding Sweden's evolving road policies.