COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Sweden Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU investment, Sweden, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 59 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Sweden Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {COM(2026) 77 final} - {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final}  
 
 
Contents 

1.  Summary................................................................................................................... 2 

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures .......................................................................... 2 

2.1 Road Safety Strategy............................................................................................ 2 

2.2 Road Safety Action Plan ...................................................................................... 3 

2.3 Road Safety Governance...................................................................................... 3 

2.4 Main Safety Issues ............................................................................................... 4 

2.5 Road Safety Targets ............................................................................................. 4 

2.6 Road Safety Measures.......................................................................................... 6 

3. Road Safety Progress ................................................................................................. 7 

3.1 Road Safety Outcomes ......................................................................................... 7 

3.2 Road Safety Performance Indicators ................................................................. 10 

4. Monitoring Road Safety work ................................................................................. 11 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................ 11 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Summary 

In 2024, Sweden had the best road safety performance in the EU, with 20 road fatalities per 
million inhabitants, well below the EU average (45 per million). Compared to 2019, a decrease 
of 4% in  road fatalities was achieved. In 2023, 1,786 people were seriously injured in road 
crashes, which is 8% lower than the respective figure in 2019.  

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Sweden shows a relatively high 
proportion of fatalities occurring outside urban areas as well as fatalities among older people. 
Also, a large proportion of serious injuries is comprised of cyclists in single-bicycle crashes 
and pedestrians in fall accidents.  

The road safety work in Sweden is carried out by using a ‘management by objectives’ model 
and it is based on Vision Zero. The long-term goal for road safety is zero fatalities and severe 
injuries but interim targets are set on the way. Interim targets are set for the numbers of fatalities 
and  severely  injured  by  the  government  in  interaction  with  relevant  stakeholders.  By  2030, 
interim targets are reducing road fatalities by 50% (maximum of 133 fatalities by 2030) and 
serious  injuries  by  25%.  Interim  targets  are  also  set  for  a  number  of  Safety  Performance 
Indicators (SPIs). 

Based on the latest available data, and notwithstanding its good performance in comparison 
with other EU Member States, Sweden is not yet ready to meet the 2030 target of halving 
road fatalities without an accelerated pace of change in road safety measures.  

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1 Road Safety Strategy 

Sweden does not have a road safety strategy in a traditional sense. Instead, the road safety work 
in Sweden is carried out systematically by using a ‘management by objectives’ model which 
is based on Vision Zero. The long-term goal for road safety is hence zero fatalities and severe 
injuries but interim targets are set on the way. These interim targets are set by the government 
in interaction with stakeholders. 

The management model involves measuring and following up a series of current conditions in 
the road traffic system which have a verified relationship with the trend for the numbers of 
fatalities  and  severely  injured  on  the  roads.  These  conditions  are  measured  using  what  are 
known  as  road  safety  performance  indicators  (SPIs).  Interim  targets  are  also  set  for  these 
indicators  and  together  the  target  values  correspond  to  the  overall  target  for  road  safety 
development.   

The SPI-targets are decided by an analysis based on a so called “back-casting model”. With 
this model, fatal accidents which occur today are analysed in order to make a prediction as to 
how likely they are to occur in a future target year given the anticipated development of vehicle 
technology  and  the  infrastructure  where  the  accident  occurred.  From  this  analysis,  an 
assessment is made of which conditions in the road traffic system, represented by the SPIs, 
need  to  be  achieved  and  hence  which  further  measures  are  needed  to  reach  the  road  safety 
targets. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There are also interim targets on suicides and pedestrian fall accidents which are jointly agreed 
by along with the different stakeholders. 

The fundamental idea in the Swedish work towards the 2030 goal is the long-term systematic 
road safety work – regardless of the effect of external factors (such as traffic increases) and 
any random variation on the outcome. 

2.2 Road Safety Action Plan 

From the analysis described in 1.2.1, a Road Safety Action Plan for the period 2022-2025 
has  been  prepared  under  the  guidance  of  the  Swedish  Transport  Administration,  with  the 
participation of authorities and road safety stakeholders. Unlike a traditional Action Plan, this 
plan brings together various stakeholders with the aim of involving other stakeholders to play 
their part in the road safety work. Thus, strengthening and highlighting effective road safety 
measures which can be implemented by all those stakeholders involved and thereby increase 
active contributions to road safety in general and to safe road traffic for the period 2022 to 
2025.  The  plan  furthermore,  also  highlights  the  responsibilities  of  different  authorities  and 
stakeholders in the short term, with a focus on a number of priority action areas1. 

This  action  plan  is  based  both  on the  national  interim  targets  and  the  targets  jointly  agreed 
among the stakeholders. In light of the targets and road safety trends, the action plan focuses 
on six priority action areas: speed, sober driving, safe cycling, safety for pedestrians (focus on 
falls), suicide prevention and leadership for road safety. This means that the action plan 2022-
2025, was expanded by three priority action areas compared to the first action (2019-2022) 
plan’s three action areas (speed, sober driving and safe cycling). The action plan contains a 
total of 250 measures that 33 different authorities and stakeholders intend to implement during 
the period. 

Table 28.1: National road safety action plan  

Timeframe 
Lead Authority 

Link 

Sweden 
2022-2025 
Swedish Transport Administration 
https://bransch.trafikverket.se/globalassets/dokument/vision-zero/road-safety-action-
plan-2022_2025.pdf 

2.3 Road Safety Governance 

The  Ministry  of  Rural  Affairs  and  Infrastructure  (Minister  for  Infrastructure),  the  Swedish 
Transport  Administration,  the  Swedish  Transport  Agency,  and  Transport  Analysis  are 
responsible for road safety in Sweden. This work is carried out in a systematic way using the 
management by objectives model which is described in 1.2.1. 

Since 2016, the Swedish Transport Administration has been tasked by the Government to lead 
overall collaboration on road safety work. This assignment means that the Swedish Transport 
Administration  must  lead  the  collaboration  in  a  way  that  creates  a  continued  and  increased 
commitment and responsibility among the relevant authorities and stakeholders to contribute 

1https://bransch.trafikverket.se/globalassets/dokument/vision-zero/road-safety-action-plan-2022_2025.pdf* 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to safe road traffic in which no one is killed or seriously injured. One of the activities conducted 
as  part  of  this  assignment  is  that  the  Swedish  Transport  Administration  brings  together 
authorities, organizations and stakeholders who have the opportunity to contribute to this work 
in the joint Road Safety action plan described in 1.2.2. 

The  Swedish  Transport  Agency  is  the  regulatory  body  in  Sweden  which  also  manages  the 
Swedish Traffic Accident Data Acquisition and Transport Analysis supports to follow up goals 
and the production of official statistics in the transport and communication sectors, including 
travel surveys and commodity flow surveys.  

2.4 Main Safety Issues 

The main road safety issues in Sweden are: speeding, sober driving and safe cycling. These are 
incorporated in the road safety action plan 2022-2025 along with other stakeholders. The action 
plan  focuses  on  six  priority  action  areas:  speed,  sober  driving,  safe  cycling,  safety  for 
pedestrians (focus on falls), suicide prevention and leadership for road safety. As according to 
the updated forecast with scenarios to reach the traffic safety targets for 20302 and the updated 
analysis, achieving the ambitious targets for reducing fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 
within the remaining timeframe requires an accelerated pace of change in road safety measures.  

Additional  measures  beyond  the  current  scenario  based  on  the  SPIs  would  be  necessary  to 
achieve the road safety targets for 2030. These include in particular: 

- an accelerated implementation of infrastructure improvements,  
- stricter speed compliance enforcement, and  
- enhanced measures to protect vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians.  

While vehicle technology and future developments will play a crucial role in the long term, the 
analysis indicates that these measures alone cannot by themselves deliver the required safety 
gains by 2030. 

2.5 Road Safety Targets 

The following interim targets have been set for the period 2021-2030 in Sweden: 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in fatalities, compared to the average value of the period 

2017-2019, to a maximum of 133 fatalities in 2030. 

•  By 2030, a 25% reduction in serious injuries, compared to the average value of the 

period 2017-2019. 

The following outcome indicators have been defined (see table 28.2): 

2 Trafikverket December 2024, Forecasts on road safety development and scenarios to meet the targets for 2030 and 2050 – 
an update 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 28.2: Road safety targets for additional outcome indicators3  

Indicator 

1.  Number  of  suicides 
transport system 

in 

the  road 

2.  Number  of  seriously  injured  cyclists 
in single-bicycle crashes (-25%) 

Initial value  
(mean 2017-2019) 

52 

1,600 

Target 2030 

to be reduced 

1,200 

As regards road safety performance indicators (SPIs), targets for 10 “system indicators” related 
to safe infrastructure and vehicles and 6 “use indicators” related to the safe road use (speed, 
drink-driving, use of seat-belts and helmets) have been defined for 2030. The baseline year for 
these targets is 2020. 

Table 28.3: Road safety targets for performance indicators  

Indicator 

1.  Safer  roads,  national  road 

network 

2.  Safer  roads,  national  road 

network 

3.  Safe state road intersections 

4.  Safe state road intersections 

5.  Safe  pedestrian,  cycling  and 
moped  passages,  state  road 
network 

6.  Safe  pedestrian,  cycling  and 
moped  passages,  municipal 
road network 

7.  Safer vehicles 

8.  Systematic  measures  for  safe 
pedestrian and cycle traffic 

9.  Suicide preventive design 

Description 

Initial value  
(2020) 

Target 2030 

Share of traffic volume on roads with median 
barriers, national roads with speed limits 80-120 
km/h 
Share of traffic volume on roads with median 
barriers, national roads with speed limits 90-120 
km/h 
Share of traffic in intersections with very high or 
high safety standard 
Share of traffic in intersections with very high, 
high or medium safety standard 
Share of pedestrian, bicycle and moped 
crossings of good or medium safety 
classifications 
Share of pedestrian, bicycle and moped 
crossings of good or medium safety 
classifications 
Share of new cars sold with 5 stars in Euro 
NCAP test 
Survey of selected municipalities, share of 
municipalities with a high level 

Suicide barriers on high bridges near urban areas 
Access barriers on busy roads near urban areas 
Viaducts across busy roads near urban areas 

64% 

85% 

80% 

93% 

60% 

50% 

89% 

15% (2021) 

70% 

96% 

85% 

99% 

80% 

75% 

90% 

70% 

50% 

50% 

25% 

3  Source:  Trafikverket  (2023),  Analys  av  trafiksäkerhetsutvecklingen  2023.  Available  at:  https://trafikverket.diva-
portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1853965/FULLTEXT01.pdf  

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 28.4: Road safety targets for use indicators  

Indicator 

1.  Compliance with speed limits, 

national road network 

2.  Compliance with speed limits, 
municipal road network 

3.  Sober drivers 

4.  Seat belt 

5.  Helmet use, cyclists 

6.  Helmet use, moped riders 

Description 

Initial value  
(2020) 

Target 2030 

Share of traffic volume within speed limits 

Share of traffic volume within speed limits 

Share of traffic volume with sober drivers 
Share of passenger car occupants in the front 
seat observed using a seat belt 
Share of cyclists observed wearing a helmet 
Share of moped riders observed wearing a 
helmet 

49% 

67% 

Not determined 

97.9% 

47% 

98% 

80% 

80% 

99.9% 

99.5% 

80% 

100% 

2.6 Road Safety Measures 

Regular systematic work on road safety in Sweden which includes implementation of various 
improvements in the infrastructure is complemented by the road safety action plan 2022-2025 
described in 1.2.2. It contains a total of 250 road safety measures divided in six priority action 
areas4. The priority areas are the following: 

Table 28.5: Priority action areas  

Priority action area 

1.  Speed 

2.  Sober driving 

3.  Safe cycling 

4.  Safety for pedestrians (focus on falls) 

5.  Suicide prevention 

6.  Leadership for road safety 

The priority action areas overlap to some extent and there are also many measures that have a 
bearing on more than one priority action area. This applies in particular to measures for safe 
cycling and safety for pedestrians. In these cases, the measures are presented in both areas. For 
other overlapping measures, the measure is normally found under the action area to which it is 
most closely linked. These measures are followed up on an annual basis under the direction of 
the Swedish Transport Administration. 

4https://bransch.trafikverket.se/globalassets/dokument/vision-zero/road-safety-action-plan-2022_2025.pdf  

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Road Safety Progress 

3.1 Road Safety Outcomes 

In Sweden, 213 people were killed in road crashes in 2024. Based on data for 2024, Sweden 
ranked 1st out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest numbers of fatalities per million 
inhabitants. In fact, 20 road fatalities per million inhabitants were recorded that year, which is 
well below the EU average (45).  

In 2023, 1,786 people were seriously injured in road crashes. 

Figure 28.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024  

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Figure 28.2 Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 5 

Figure 28.3 Serious road injuries  
(Source: CARE database)5  

Compared to 20196, a decrease of 5% in road fatalities was recorded in 2024. However, Sweden 
is not yet on track to meet the 2030 target of halving the number of road fatalities.  

5 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 and 2021 for many 
European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was 
associated with a significant drop in road traffic crashes and fatalities. 
6 For all Member States, 2019 has been used as the baseline year for the monitoring of 2030 targets in this report, 
which is used at EU level. Sweden has set the average of 2017-2019 as baseline.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 28.6: Monitoring of additional road safety targets7  

Indicator 

1.  Number of suicides in transportation 

area 

2.  Number  of  seriously 
single-bicycle accidents 

injured 

in 

Initial value  
(mean 2017-2019) 

52 

1,600 

2023 

44 

2,200 

Goal 2030 

to be reduced 

1,200 

Compared to the EU average, Sweden shows a relatively high proportion of fatalities on rural 
roads and fatalities among older people8. In fact, fatalities outside urban areas accounted for 
69% of all road fatalities in 2022. 

An overview of the evolution of road fatalities and serious injuries during the period 2019-
2023 (which is the latest available year) is provided below for specific types of roads, crashes 
and road users.  

Table 28.7: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023 

Fatalities 

2019 

2023 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

221 

49 

146 

20 

75 

120 

103 

35 

17 

27 

229 

48 

162 

19 

99 

107 

110 

32 

24 

24 

- 

21% 

71% 

8% 

43% 

47% 

48% 

14% 

10% 

10% 

+4% 

-2% 

+11% 

-5% 

+32% 

-11% 

+7% 

-9% 

+41% 

-11% 

Table 28.8: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2023 

Serious Injuries 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

2019 

1,951 

720 

986 

202 

715 

2023 

1,786 

755 

983 

3 

686 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

- 

42% 

55% 

0% 

38% 

-8% 

+5% 

0% 

-99% 

-4% 

7 Source: Trafikverket (2023), Analys av trafiksäkerhetsutvecklingen 2023. Available at: https://trafikverket.diva-
portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1853965/FULLTEXT01.pdf  
8  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Sweden.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Serious Injuries 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

2019 

1,021 

1,058 

313 

198 

217 

2023 

904 

835 

297 

233 

198 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

51% 

47% 

17% 

13% 

11% 

-11% 

-21% 

-5% 

+18% 

-9% 

3.2 Road Safety Performance Indicators 

The  use  rates  of  seat-belts  among  passenger  car  occupants  in  Sweden  are  higher  than  the 
average  EU  rates.  Self-reported  drink-driving  is  lower  compared  to  the  EU  average. 
Additionally, the passenger car fleet in Sweden is younger than the EU average. 

Table 28.9: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 – 2025 (Source: ERSO, Country 
Profiles) 

Sweden 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

Speeding9 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems (roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections) 

Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

44.4 
51.7 
66.0 

97.9 
- 
- 
/ 

- 
- 
47.0 

% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal limit 

7.1 

Driver Distraction a 

% of drivers not using hand-held mobile 
device/phone while driving 

Vehicle Safety 

% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d 

94.6 

95.5 

10.7 

50.0 
55.0 
63.0 

95.5 
- 
- 
/ 

- 
- 
- 

- 

- 

- 
- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 
- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 
83.3 
- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

11.8 

11.8 

94.8 

94.5 

93.0 

11.0 

83.6 

12.3 

82.7 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

9 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does not 
allow for a straightforward comparison.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Monitoring Road Safety work 

Swedish  Transport  Administration  is  in  charge  of  overall  collaboration  on  road  safety, 
including monitoring and updates.   

Monitoring the actual numbers of fatalities and severely injured together with the outcome of 
the indicators, are followed up and analysed annually under the direction of Swedish Transport 
Administration.  The  main  way  road  safety  is  monitored  is  the  road  safety  performance 
indicators and their outcome. The analysis is presented at annual results conferences attended 
by various stakeholders which through their activities can contribute to  meeting the interim 
targets. 

With  the  analysis  report  as  a  starting  point,  concerned  stakeholders  plan  measures  in  their 
different  activities  and  operations.  This  planning  is  administered  by  the  Swedish  Transport 
Administration  and  results  in  the  Road  Safety  Action  Plan  (described  above)  where  all 
stakeholder  commitments  are  documented.  The  action  plan  is  followed  up  and  revised 
annually10. 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In  Sweden,  the  long-term  goal  for  road  safety  is  zero  fatalities  and  severe  injuries.  Interim 
targets are set for the numbers of fatalities and severely injured by the government in interaction 
with relevant stakeholders and by 2030, interim targets are reducing road fatalities by 50% 
(maximum of 133 fatalities by 2030) and serious injuries by 25%. Further, interim targets 
are also set for a number of SPIs. In light of the targets and road safety trends, the road safety 
action plan 2022-2025 focuses on six priority action areas: speed, sober driving, safe cycling, 
safety for pedestrians (focus on falls), suicide prevention and leadership for road safety. The 
action plan contains a total of 250 measures that 33 different authorities and stakeholders intend 
to implement during the period. 

In  2024,  Sweden,  with  20  road  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants,  had  the  best  road  safety 
performance in the EU, in terms of the lowest numbers of fatalities per population. Compared 
to the EU average, Sweden shows a relatively high proportion of fatalities on rural roads and 
fatalities  among  older  people.  Also,  a  large  proportion  of  serious  injuries  is  comprised  by 
cyclists in single-bicycle crashes and pedestrians in fall crashes. 

Compared to 2019, the number of fatalities decreased by 4% in 2024. However, despite this 
decrease,  without an accelerated pace of change  in  road safety  measures  Sweden is  not  yet 
ready to meet the 2030 target of halving road fatalities (i.e. maximum of 133 fatalities by 
2030). Between 2019 and 2023 the number of serious injuries decreased by 8%, indicating that 
Sweden is on track to meet the 2030 target of reducing serious injuries in 2030. 

10 Example: Uppföljning av Aktionsplan för säker vägtrafik 2022–2025 

11