Even small speed reductions save lives, says Swedish report

A study published in early 2018 by the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute shows the impact of lower speed limits in urban areas on road fatalities and injuries. A maximum speed reduction from 50 to 40 kilometer per hour could help save as many as 5 lives per year and prevent 83 severe injuries and 12 very serious injuries on a yearly basis.

VTI used the statistics for 2014-2016 for Sweden as the starting point for its research. In this period, an average of 65 people per year died in urban areas in accidents involving at least one motor vehicle. Almost 1300 were ‘seriously injured’ and almost 200 were ‘very seriously’ injured.

‘We have investigated how different scenarios would reduce the number of fatalities and injuries. The speed makes a big difference in a crash’, says Anna Vadeby, researcher at VTI. ‘It turns out that a modest reduction in average speed can save between 3 to 5 lives a year.’

VTI studied three scenarios, in which all speed limits in urban areas were lowered from 50 to 40 kilometer per hour (scenario 1). However, in scenario 2, 20% of the urban streets remained at 50 kilometer per hour while the rest are reduced to 40 km per hour. In scenario 3, the majority (80%) of streets were limited to 40 km per hour while the remaining 20% urban streets saw a speed limit increase to 60 kilometer per hour.  All scenarios had a positive impact on the safety of urban areas, reducing fatalities, severe injuries and very serious injuries. 

The original study (in Swedish, abstract available in English) can be downloaded here.