This week marks a national traffic enforcement week in both Sweden and Norway, with multiple reports indicating increased police presence and checks along the roads. In Sweden, more police officers are conducting more checks, and they are clearly visible, according to major media sources. Similarly, emergency police across Norway will prioritize and conduct speed checks this week. Police officials explain that they typically warn about such traffic weeks because their goal is not to maximize fines but to reduce speed on the roads, aiming for behavioral change over revenue generation.
In Norway, there is a particular emphasis on checking motorcycle riders during this enforcement period. According to UP Midt-Noreg on Snapchat, statistics show that speed, risk behavior, and driver error often lie behind serious motorcycle accidents. As a preventive measure, multiple reports indicate that UP will check 15,000 motorcycle riders during this season, targeting a high-risk group to mitigate accident rates through direct intervention and deterrence.
This Scandinavian approach contrasts sharply with trends in the United States, where research from seven sources shows a significant reduction in police interventions for traffic violations over the past decade. In Los Angeles, traffic stops in 2023 were more than 50% lower compared to 2019, while Pittsburg saw a 63% drop from 2017 figures, and Oakland experienced a 71% decline since 2016.
Concurrently, roadway fatalities in the United States have increased significantly, with 42,795 people dying in traffic crashes in 2022, according to a December 2023 Governors Highway Safety Association report. The same report notes that traffic deaths surged 30% over the past decade, with nearly 10,000 more fatalities annually compared to 32,893 in 2013. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that speeding-related crashes accounted for 28% of all traffic fatalities in 2023.
Specific dangers contributing to U.S. fatalities include red-light running and work zone incidents. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that crashes involving red-light running killed 1,149 people in 2022. Meanwhile, NHTSA data shows 891 traffic-related fatalities in work zones in 2022, with 37,701 people injured, an 18% increase from 2018. Research from seven sources indicates speeding was the leading factor in 34% of work zone fatalities and injuries to drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and workers.
In response to such challenges, some regions are adopting targeted strategies. Research from seven sources confirms that Surrey County Council's Vision Zero Road Safety Strategy was approved by Cabinet on 23 July 2024 and subsequently by the Surrey RoadSafe board. This strategy addresses an average of between 20 and 30 fatalities on Surrey's roads in recent years, along with many hundreds of serious injuries. Additionally, the Police Strategy 2024-2028 has prioritized improving the efficiency and effectiveness of police traffic safety work as one of its measures.
Finland's traffic safety data provides further context, with preliminary data from Statistics Finland indicating 171 people lost their lives in road traffic in 2024. Research from seven sources notes that inappropriate speed is the third most common contributory factor in road accidents, especially those involving fatalities. All key figures in Finland's police traffic safety work have shown a positive trend compared to 2023, according to research from seven sources, and the Traffic Safety Strategy 2022-2026 has set an intermediate target of halving road deaths and reducing serious injuries by 2030 compared to the level in 2020.
Spain faces compliance issues, with research from seven sources reporting that in 2023, within the scope of the DGT, 211 fatalities were recorded in which speed was a factor. On main roads in Spain, 63% of cars drive within the speed limit, indicating significant non-compliance.
At a European level, ROADPOL will carry out its second pan-European Speed Operation from 5 to 11 August 2024, according to research from seven sources. The same time last year, more than 650,000 speeding violations were detected during the operation.
Speeding is recognized as the single most major cause of death on roads in Europe, based on research from seven sources. On average, 70 people are killed every day in Europe as a result of collisions, according to Jana Peleskova, ROADPOL Operational Working Group Chief of the Police of Czechia.
In the Netherlands, traffic offense data reveals a total of 7,913,692 offences under the Traffic Regulations (Administrative Enforcement) Act in 2024, according to research from seven sources. Nearly 8.5 million decisions under the Wahv were issued in 2023 (8,463,917). Specific violations include parking violations at 465,819 in 2024 and 473,539 in 2023, and handheld phone use at 165,408 in 2024 and 198,841 in 2023.
However, the number of offences involving failure to obey no entry signs in the Netherlands rose sharply from about 147 thousand to almost 300 thousand, based on research from seven sources. In contrast, UK government statistics show that the percentage of car drivers exceeding the speed limit on motorways and 30mph roads fell during 2024, continuing the broadly downward trend seen since 2018.
The contradictory trends across regions reveal a complex landscape: speed limit violations in the Netherlands and the UK have decreased, indicating improved compliance, while speeding-related fatalities in the U.S. increased by 21% from 2018 to 2023, with speeding-related crashes accounting for 28% of all traffic fatalities in 2023.
Similarly, enforcement activity varies widely: traffic stops in U.S. cities like Los Angeles, Pittsburg, and Oakland have significantly decreased by 50% to 71% from 2016-2023, whereas police traffic safety work in Finland has shown positive trends in key figures compared to 2023, indicating active enforcement.
Key unknowns persist, including the specific enforcement tactics used during the national traffic week in Sweden and Norway and how they compare to previous years. The causal relationship between reduced traffic stops in the U.S. and the increase in roadway fatalities remains unclear. Additionally, the specific key figures showing positive trends in Finland's police traffic safety work and how they are measured are not detailed.