Abstract:
The European Union has recently set a new goal to reduce the number of fatalities in 2020 to half of those recorded in 2010. For Sweden, this means 133 fatalities, which corresponds to the very low figure of 1.4 fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants. The slightly revised guideline from 2004—VGU (Road and Street Design Manual, available at http://www.trafikverket.se/vgu), including later supplements—points out that the 1:6 design does not have any safety advantages over the 1:4 designs. The upcoming guidelines, expected later this year, will improve the roadside safety design further. Improvements include lower embankment height, more distinct advice on how to use high-capacity guardrails, and, finally, showing the standard solution with flared guardrail anchorages. The new guidelines also handle the speed limit review in Sweden which aims to abandon the 50-, 70-, and 90-km/h limits, preferring 30-, 40-, 60-, 80-, 100-, 110-, and 120-km/h limits.
