Successful results in trials with geofencing in Enköping

Broad acceptance among drivers, high levels of public engagement and technology that more or less works well. But no noticeable impact on traffic in general. These are some of the results of a large-scale trial of geofencing and speed enforcement in the municipality of Enköping.

In 2024, about a hundred vehicles of different types – mainly city buses and heavy and light trucks – trialled digital speed limiting in the heart of Enköping. This system involves limiting the maximum speed by means of geofencing, a kind of virtual fence around a certain area, which locks the accelerator to a certain maximum speed. (The system can be disabled in an emergency.)

VTI has now evaluated the trial by means of surveys and interviews with drivers and the general public, and by measuring actual speeds.
We already know that minor changes in speed can bring about major reductions in road injuries and fatalities. “We believe that various speed-limiting technologies could have great potential to reduce the loss of life and health,” says Christian Howard, a road safety researcher who led the project.

The survey and interviews with drivers show broad acceptance of the objective of the trial – to limit speeds and improve road safety. The main benefits were the fact that the technical systems were easy to understand and use, that they can be useful in helping drivers to maintain their speed, and that the technology can help drivers to focus their attention on other traffic.

The main obstacles, according to drivers, were a number of technical issues. For instance, on several occasions the systems showed the wrong speed limit and the switch between different zones could sometimes be slow. More than 1,500 people responded to the survey sent out to the general public, which indicates a high level of interest and engagement in the project.

That said, measuring actual speeds does not indicate any differences in terms of traffic in general. This is probably because speed-restricted vehicles made up only a small proportion of total traffic – around three per cent.

“In that respect, we are still unaware of what level of penetration is needed by geofenced vehicles in order to have a significant impact. Previous studies show that as much as 50 per cent may be needed,” says Christian Howard.

Attempting to show the many benefits of geofencing, but also its challenges. Is your attitude more positive after this trial, or less so?
“I remain optimistic, but we also have to be realistic and appreciate the fact that the technology available today has its limitations. We have to do more work on this. But I definitely believe that technical systems that help drivers to maintain their speed are part of the future,” concludes Christian Howard.

The HasT project – Hastighetssäkrad trafikzon i urban miljö, or Speed-enforced Traffic Zone in an Urban Environment – has been headed by CLOSER and funded by the Swedish Transport Administration’s signage fund. Other partners have included the municipality of Enköping, VTI and various companies: V-tron, Keolis, Martin & Servera, Småfrakt, Dagab, Enköpings Åkeri and Allmiljö.

Below some pictures from the project. Photo: CLOSER