STOCKHOLM, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Speed cameras have been installed in four tunnels in Sweden as part of a pilot project aimed at slowing down traffic and lessening the impact of potential accidents in tunnels, Swedish Television reported on Thursday.
Speed cameras are already used in Sweden, but the new cameras are more reliable since they have been fitted with a cone that protects the lens from dirt. There was an issue with keeping the older cameras clean, meaning their images were often not usable.
"If an accident occurs in a tunnel, then that is a closed room, which makes it hard for people to get out and for emergency rescue personnel to get in," said Eva Lundberg, the Swedish Transport Agency's national coordinator for traffic security cameras.
While the number of accidents in tunnels is not noticeably higher than on the roads in Sweden, the consequences can be much more serious due to the inaccessibility issue.
New cameras have recently been installed in two tunnels in Stockholm and in Sweden's second largest city, Gothenburg, on the west coast. The Swedish Transport Agency wants to evaluate the impact of these cameras before deciding what additional tunnels to install them in.
The Swedish Transport Agency also insisted that the primary purpose is not to catch people who speed but to encourage motorists to slow down, which would lessen the impact of potential accidents.
