We need more and safer rest areas along our roads

Almost half of Sweden's professional drivers state that at some point, they have been subjected to crimes at a rest areas or parking location in Sweden. Meanwhile, as many as 70 percent of the drivers see crimes against occupational traffic as a problem. 
The reason for this is that today there are far too few and safe rest areas along our Swedish roads.

In Sweden, there are between 12 000 and 15 000 drivers at the moment, who are obliged to take breaks a number of times per day if they themselves and their haulers do not want to risk being fined. But in connection with the big cities, primarily, several of them have nowhere to park their vehicle to take their statutory rest. Therefore, they are forced to find other parking locations, where both themselves and the vehicles are significantly more exposed.
During the past year, the police have received 1 300 reported crimes linked to this.
According to the police, these are no random crimes, but well-planned efforts by both nationally and internationally organized leagues.

The traffic and the crimes increase, but the rest areas do not. Something has to be done and on a positive note, the Swedish Transport Administration has been given a government assignment where they will present proposals on how the lack of safe parking locations along our Swedish roads should be remedied.

The tragic side of it is that the assignment is expected to be completed by 2029. That’s a whole decade!

According to the Swedish Transport Administration, some things are going happen in the meantime. Let’s really hope so.

Thomas Ström