The number of casualties in traffic has been decreasing steadily since 1990. The number of individuals injured in traffic has also decreased, but not to the same extent. However, this should be considered because the motor vehicle fleet has increased in the past decades.
The number of injuries is relatively lower today as a result of targeted traffic safety work and the development of increasingly safer cars. Personal injuries can involve complex investigations with long settlement times and compensations paid out over a long period (known as injury annuities).
The statistics presented here are based on data reported to insurance companies within the framework of mandatory motor third-party liability insurance. They show that in 2022, 175 individuals were killed and over 27,000 individuals were injured in traffic accidents. In two out of three cases, the accidents occurred either while the person was traveling in or was hit by privately-owned cars.
Over the past 10-year period, the number of casualtieshas decreased from 257 to 175 individuals, representing a 32 per cent reduction. During the same period, the number of injured individuals has decreased from 35,000 to 27,000 individuals, a reduction of 23 per cent.
Motor third party liability insurance, which is mandatory for all motor vehicles driven in traffic, provides compensation for personal injuries and damages to other vehicles in the event of an accident. It can also cover certain damages to road barriers and lampposts, for example.
When a person suffers a personal injury after a traffic accident and the injuries are severe enough to result in the person being on sick leave, it may be possible to receive compensation from the insurance policy for the loss of income that arises. The income loss is calculated based on the difference between the income that the injured party would have had if they had not been injured and the actual income they have after the accident. Compensation for income loss is paid out continuously (known as a life annuity). Depending on the duration and severity of the injury, it may also entitle the injured party to compensation for pension losses. Injury annuities are usually paid out as long as the injured party is alive.
In 2021, injury annuities for personal injuries in traffic amounted to over 33 billion SEK for injuries that occurred up until and including 2021 (see figure 15). Of the total amount, 6 per cent (1.9 billion SEK) accounted for injuries that occurred in 2021, while the rest were injuries that occurred many years ago. The total amount paid out per year has decreased since 2016 in line with the decrease in the number of injured individuals in traffic. The reduction amounts to 29 per cent (13.7 billion SEK).
