Traffic safety implementation at local level in line with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: synergies, challenges and enablers

Abstract

This study explores how traffic safety implementation at local level in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is characterised. By investigating interactions between traffic safety and other sustainability goals (synergies), as well as identifying contradictions between goals and conflicting interests (challenges), the study aims to pinpoint the main enablers for implementing traffic safety as part of sustainability. The emphasis lies on local authorities in Sweden representing a mature traffic safety context when viewed globally. To delve into this issue, interviews were conducted with 37 municipal employees from the city of Gothenburg, encompassing diverse roles that exemplify the significant influence Swedish local authorities wield in shaping traffic safety: as road manager and planner, in maintenance and construction phases, as employer and purchaser, and as influencer of behaviour. The study reveals several synergies between traffic safety and other sustainability goals, as well as contradictions between goals and conflicting interests posing challenges to traffic safety implementation. Main enablers for implementation of traffic safety as part of sustainability at the local level concern, for example, an integrated approach on strategic level where traffic safety could be handled as either a prerequisite (e.g. for active mobility) or a framework condition (e.g. for green cars). The necessity to bridge gaps between strategic and operational levels is also emphasised. Contradicting goals and interests are inevitable and must be managed. The study identifies the traffic strategy and strategic analyses, in the European context referred to as Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning, as a platform for traffic safety implementation as part of sustainability. Such platform highlights implementation areas in common for different target areas. The significance of integrating traffic safety in relevant activities and processes, alongside fostering horizontal collaborations across target areas, becomes apparent when striving to embed traffic safety in a wider sustainability context. While Swedish municipalities may not always recognize traffic safety as part of the sustainability agenda, existing platforms within municipalities serve as a foundation for adopting an integrated approach to traffic safety implementation. However, there is a need for a central coordinating function to ensure robust leadership in integrating traffic safety as a vital component of sustainability.