A Polish–Swedish Road Safety Workshop was held in Stockholm with the participation of representatives from key Polish institutions, including the Ministry of Infrastructure, the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways, the Road Transport Inspection, the Polish Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, the Motor Transport Institute, the Road and Bridge Research Institute, regional road traffic centres, and Gdańsk University of Technology. The Swedish side was represented by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Housing, the Swedish Transport Administration (Trafikverket), Business Sweden, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI), and the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

In his address, Minister Andreas Carlson recalled Sweden’s “Vision Zero” adopted in 1997, which states that no one should die in road crashes. Trafikverket’s Director General Roberto Maiorano and VTI experts presented the implementation of this strategy, which helped reduce annual road fatalities from 541 in 1997 to just over 200 in 2024. Poland’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Stanisław Bukowiec, highlighted that thanks to consistent state policy—primarily infrastructure investments—Poland has reduced road fatalities by more than 45% over the past decade, one of the fastest improvements in the EU.

During the workshop, participants exchanged experience in modern road design, safety during roadworks, driver training, protection of road users in severe weather conditions, and safety of personal mobility users. Swedish companies also showcased innovative technical solutions, including seat belts, rear‑facing child seats, and advanced road safety support systems.

The ministers held bilateral Polish-Swedish consultations on transport security in the Baltic Sea region, including the protection of subsea cables and “shadow fleet” risks. They also discussed cooperation within the EU framework, including the EU–Ukraine road agreement, military mobility funding, critical infrastructure protection, anti‑drone systems, and collaboration within the International Transport Forum (ITF).

The workshop concluded with a study visit to the Gillinge driver training centre, where participants tested their skid‑control skills on the Halkbana—a mandatory element of Swedish driver education.

Source: gov.pl