Project

Full title: Effects of sweep-salting on cyclist and pedestrian crash risk

Sweep-salting is increasingly used on Swedish pedestrian and bicycle routes to improve winter conditions, but its effect on traffic safety is still not well quantified. This project will use crash data from several Swedish municipalities to investigate whether sweep-salting reduces slip-related crashes among cyclists and pedestrians.

By comparing slip-related and non-slip-related crashes on sweep-salted and comparable non-sweep-salted routes, the study will account for differences in exposure even when detailed pedestrian and bicycle flow data are unavailable. To assess the broader safety effect of sweep-salting on winter walking and cycling, the project will also examine trends in slip-related and non-slip-related crashes across both sweep-salted and non-sweep-salted routes. This will help assess whether improved winter conditions may affect walking and cycling more broadly, and whether changes in crash occurrence extend beyond the routes that are directly treated.

The project will provide new evidence on the safety effects of winter maintenance and support municipalities and road authorities in making informed decisions on winter maintenance of walking and cycling infrastructure.

Traffic safety benefit: The project will provide improved evidence on whether sweep-salting reduces slip-related crashes among cyclists and pedestrians. The results can support more effective winter maintenance strategies and contribute to safer year-round walking and cycling.

Connection to other projects: Follow-up and methodological extension of previous Swedish studies of sweep-salting and cycling safety, including VTI Report 1012 (2019), Cykelflöden och olyckor på sopsaltade cykelstråk i Stockholm, and VTI Report 1005 (2019), Sopsaltning av cykelvägar i teori och praktik – erfarenheter från utvärderingar i svenska kommuner.

Key words: Cycling safety; Pedestrian safety; Winter maintenance; Sweep-salting; Slip-related crashes; Active mobility; Road safety; Single-bicycle crashes