Easter is just around the corner and the holiday weekend is one of the most intense traffic days of the year, resulting in longer travel times and a higher risk of accidents.
“Keeping your speed down can save lives,” says Joanna Ljunggren at the Swedish Transport Administration.
Many of us travel all over Sweden to celebrate Easter with our loved ones, resulting in traffic congestion. Especially on Maundy Thursday and Easter Monday.
The holiday weekend is also one of the most accident-prone of the year.
– Unfortunately, we can clearly see that Easter is a very accident-prone weekend in traffic. Last year, eight people died and over 200 people were injured, says Joanna Ljunggren, press communicator at the Swedish Transport Administration.
Half of them drive too fast.
People driving faster than the speed limit and dangerous overtaking are two major contributing factors to accidents on the roads.
– Half of road users drive faster than the speed limit, even though you don't gain much time doing so. If you drive 80 kilometers per hour instead of 90, you lose a maximum of 50 seconds per mile, says Joanna Ljunggren.
Measures are being taken on particularly accident-prone stretches. The E4 between Gävle and Tönnebro, which is heavily congested due to holidaymakers going to and from the mountains, will be banned from overtaking in the northbound direction on Maundy Thursday. On Easter Monday, the same stretch will be banned from overtaking in the southbound direction.
A popular motor show is taking place in Jönköping, which is affecting traffic throughout the city and for passersby on the E4.
– In collaboration with the police, we will implement measures to keep speeds down, says Joanna Ljunggren.
Other roads where traffic is expected to be intense are the E20 between Stockholm and Gothenburg, the E4 between Stockholm and Sundsvall, the E22 between Norrköping and Kalmar, and the national roads in the mountain regions.
Mild weather – cold nights
The late Easter and the mild weather that is expected in many places does not necessarily guarantee good road conditions, according to SMHI.
– We are still suffering from nights where the temperature drops a lot. In parts of Norrland and the inner parts of Götaland and Svealand it can be zero degrees, in some cases below zero degrees, says Marcus Sjöstedt, meteorologist at SMHI.
However, the dry air means that the risk of frost on the roads is not that great.
– You should always be careful when the temperature approaches zero degrees, but the risk of frost is not very high this year, says Marcus Sjöstedt.
Source: TT
