National Road Safety Policy in Sweden as Reflected in Plans for Regional Transport Infrastructure

Authors

  • Astrid Värnild School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Sweden
  • Anna Johansson School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University, Sweden
  • Per Tillgren School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v24i1.8620

Keywords:

Vision Zero, policy, road safety, management by objectives, road injury, plan

Abstract

In 1997 the Swedish Parliament adopted the Vision Zero road safety policy, which since 2009 is included in a consideration goal (road safety, environment, health) as one of two goals under an overall transport goal. The target of achieving Vision Zero is not specified for different authorities. Investments in infrastructure are a common way of designing a safe system. Plans for regional transport infrastructure are therefore tools to achieve the national target.

The aim of the study is to analyse how Vision Zero has been applied by regional authorities as a term, a goal or a clarification in justifying measures in county plans for regional transport infrastructure in the period 2014–2025 in Sweden. Ten of twenty-one plans were included in the analysis as they selected costs for road safety measures for both state and municipal roads. The plans were analysed using directed and summative content analysis.

The consideration goal is rarely in evidence. Measures are most often justified by accessibility and public transport, walking and cycling, as clarifications of the functional goal (accessibility). It is likely that the imbalance between the functional goal and the consideration goal reflects a lack of governance by the Vision Zero road safety policy.Fulfilling a national road safety target requires well-adapted sub-targets for the organizations concerned

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Author Biographies

Astrid Värnild, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Sweden

Astrid Värnild is a doctoral student in Public Health Sciences at Mälardalen University, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare. She has been working as an expert of transport in the County Administrative Board of Västmanland 1991-2010, but before that also as a civil servant with regional political planning and regional growth.

Anna Johansson, School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University, Sweden

Anna Johansson has a PhD in Public health Sciences and is currently a lecture in political science and head of the division of Economy and Political science at School of Business, Society and Engineering at Mälardalen University. She has been working as an analyst at different state agencies and as a project leader of different governmental evaluations. Her research has focused on public policy, implementation and evaluation in the areas of risk management, accident and injury prevention and crisis management.

Per Tillgren, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Sweden

Per Tillgren is a professor emeritus at Mälardalen University, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare. Docent at Karolinska Institutet 2000 and professor 2005 at Mälardalen University in Public Health Sciences and in the field of Health promotion. Research has mainly focused on community analysis, implementation and evaluation of population-based health promotion efforts. The research has taken place in different environments at local, regional and national level both in the public sector and in civil society. Mainly programs and activities that are a result of policy processes and that are based on political initiatives and decisions.

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Published

2020-03-13

How to Cite

Värnild, A., Johansson, A., & Tillgren, P. (2020). National Road Safety Policy in Sweden as Reflected in Plans for Regional Transport Infrastructure. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 24(1), 3–24. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v24i1.8620

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