The Swedish National Road Administration's (SNRA) 1997 Road Traffic Safety Report is the annual report to the Government about the road traffic safety situation in Sweden, giving the results of road traffic safety work. The report has been produced in co-operation with the National Swedish Police Board and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities. Traffic-related injuries are one of the most significant public health problems in Sweden. In 1997, 570 people were killed in Sweden, and between 12,000 and 14,000 hospitalised following road accidents. In October 1997, the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament) approved the long-term goal that nobody is to be killed or seriously injured in accidents within the road transport system (`Vision Zero'), and that the road transport system must be brought into line with the demands this goal involves. The goal is that no more than 400 people are killed and no more than 3,700 seriously injured in the year 2000. The SNRA conducts road traffic safety work primarily in conjunction with the police and municipalities. The county administrative boards and the National Society for Road Safety, together with its member organisations, also play an important part in this work. As far as possible, road traffic safety work should be integrated with environmental work, with the aim of promoting the SNRA's environmental goals. In 1997, deaths on the roads increased by six per cent, and serious injuries by three per cent compared to 1996. More effective measures than those already in place are required in order to achieve the goal for the year 2000. (A)
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