Why Sweden Rules In Road Safety

To paraphrase a classic quote, the Swedes are different from you and me. They have more money, yes, but they also have more sense. At a recent annual traffic-safety conference called Lifesavers, we listened to a presentation by Roger Johansson, who has the wonderful title of Chief Strategist, Traffic Safety, for the Swedish Road Administration. This organization is roughly analogous to our Department of Transportation.

Making good better
At the Chicago event, Johansson outlined how Sweden, which already had one of the safest road systems in the world, set out to make it safer. And it seems to be succeeding. For instance, they have reduced traffic deaths among children younger than 15 years old from over 100 in the 1970s to fewer than 10 per year nationwide since 2004.

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answer - 4/25/2007 12:21:53 PM

+3 Boost

Wish the U.S. would adopt those ideas.

LexusNumberOne4ever - 4/25/2007 12:57:15 PM

-1 Boost

First thing for safety : ban those rebadged Camrys....

indifferent - 4/25/2007 5:49:25 PM

-1 Boost

you mean the LS?

EnnNorak - 4/25/2007 1:31:06 PM

+1 Boost

Safety should only be given priority to the extent that it is a cost-seffective social benefit. If safety costs too much, poor families will short-change their kids in nutrition and health care just to be able to afford a car to get them to work so they can earn money for basic necessities. It would not make sense to save 10 extra lives by going overboard on safety and have 100 extra premature deaths and serious illnessses because families have to allocate scarce funds for overpriced transportation.

Having said that, I would love to see more emphasis on the removal of reckless drivers from the road. Speeding per se is not a problem if one drives a reliable car with good tires -- the police should concentrate on drunk and reckless drivers and leave ordinary speeders alone. COMMON SENSE SHOULD PREVAIL !

Rupert - 4/25/2007 2:19:14 PM

+1 Boost

Poorer people in Europe generally take public transport, and they would buy used anyway.

Rupert - 4/25/2007 2:21:55 PM

+1 Boost

my post sounded different in my head.

My point is that public transport is more widely available in Europe than in the US, so people do not "need" a car as much. Get your shopping delivered (usually free) and take the bus and the train everywhere. I know several (middle class) families that do just that. One doesn't have a car at all, another uses it very rarely.

gsh23 - 4/25/2007 3:44:54 PM

0 Boost

its possible to get around in large US cities without a car as well. it just takes longer and each of your trips have to be planned out. probably one of the best ways to save money. a friend who does this has a magnificent home theater and all other electronic goodies.

quizz - 4/25/2007 3:54:40 PM

0 Boost

Bah, U.S. cities need to increase the accessibility of mass transist systems (subways, buses, etc.). I would much rather take the subway/train to work than fight L.A. traffic one hour each way. No, I don't enjoy driving my BMW at 25mph in bumper to bumper traffic for 50 miles.