This article describes a research project in Sweden and Norway to analyse which measures for improving traffic safety conditions could be implemented. Six groups of measures were selected: in the road network; to reduce speed in sparsely populated areas; in residential areas; in urban areas; technical measures; and to improve driver behaviour. All these have been shown to have a significant impact on traffic safety. The most feasible actions are those related to improving road infrastructure; the most difficult are those related to lowering speed and enforcing speed regulations. Technological solutions such as intelligent speed adaptation can be costly and must fulfil other purposes than safety alone. The author values a "bottom-up" perspective on the measures as this is more flexible as conditions change.
Abstract