Sweden driver guide

Sweden

This is a ROADPOL country driving guide to help drivers visiting Sweden.

Visitor Information:

Sweden has 9,747,355 million inhabitants and 7,771,557 registered vehicles in use
Of these, 4,585,519 are passenger cars, 581,205 trucks, 13,992 buses, 288,629 motorcycles, 1,058,028 trailers and 164,403 snowmobiles.
There are 6.03 million licence holders (passenger car) in the country, along with 140,700 kilometres of road.
A total of 2,460 road kilometres made up of motorways and express highways.
Until 1967, traffic drove on the left in Sweden. The change-over was made at 5am on 3 September, 1967.

Collision & Breakdown Information:

In a collision call 112 and tell your location, what happened, If someone has been injured, if a wild animal (elk/moose, roe deer, fallow dear, wild boar, bear, wolf, lynx or eagle) has been injured or if the road is blocked. If you collide with a wild animal and it wanders away, you must mark the spot where it entered the forest and call 112. Police will then attempt to track the animal down. You must always report the accident at once. It is an offence to not report to the Police
In a breakdown park the car on the road side as far as possible from other traffic. Put up a warning triangle approximately 50 to 100 metres before the location your car has stopped. If it is an emergency, call 112. Otherwise, contact your breakdown recovery provider. Wait by your car, if it is safe.

Useful Phrase 1 - English:

Call the Police!

Useful Phrase 1 - Destination:

Ring Polisen!

Useful Phrase 2 - English:

Do you speak English?

Useful Phrase 2 - Destination:

Pratar du engelska?

Useful Phrase 3 - English:

My car has broken down.

Useful Phrase 3 - Destination:

Min bil är trasig.

Useful Phrase 4 - English:

Where is the nearest fuel station?

Useful Phrase 4 - Destination:

Var finns närmaste bensinstation?

Useful Phrase 5 - English:

I am lost.

Useful Phrase 5 - Destination:

Jag är vilse.

Useful Phrase 6 - English:

Thank you very much.

Useful Phrase 6 - Destination:

Tack så mycket.

Road Traffic Policing:

Winter tyres are advised between 1 December and 31 March. These can be of the studded or the soft rubber variety. Please note that the use of winter tyres by Swedish registered cars is compulsory, rather than advisable.
There is an extensive, three-stage process of learning to drive in Sweden, with checks on competency between each stage. Training is provided by commercial enterprises and volunteers.
Wherever you are sitting in a vehicle, your seatbelt must be fastened.
If you are travelling on a coach with a seatbelt fitted, you must use it

Road Traffic Enforcement:

When driving, your headlights must always be switched on and set to dipped beam, even during daytime
Cycling helmets for those under 15 are compulsory.
Children under the age of seven must not travel in the front seat unless using an appropriate restraint
It is illegal to use a rear facing child safety seat in the front of a car that has an activated passenger airbag

Individual limits and specific driving requirements:

For more information about driving in Sweden please see the European Commission Road Safety Link - 'Going Abroad' at the following link.