During 2010 several municipalities started to change their speed limits on their local roads and the work continues throughout 2011.

In the course of 2008 and 2009, the former Swedish Road Administration and certain municipalities introduced new speed limits. These were based on a more flexible ten-step system which means that the existing speed restrictions now are supplemented by new speed limits of 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 km/h. The first speed limit sign changes were done in autumn 2008. 

Speeds have gradually been adapted according to the level of safety of the road and to the degree of force the human body can withstand in the event of a single error, for example, if one were to drive off the road. The objective has been to maintain a balance between road safety requirements, the environment, accessibility, navigability, favourable regional development, and equality.

If all motorists in Sweden respected the speed limits, approximately 150 lives would be saved each year. Carbon dioxide emissions in the country would be reduced by around 700 000 tonnes, the equivalent of emissions from 240 000 passenger cars.