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The well-maintained, toll-free and vast network of roads and highways in Sweden offers any traveler the pleasure of driving. The minimum age for driving in Sweden is 18. You are allowed to drive on the right and overtake from the left. A warning triangle is a must at least 50 meters behind the vehicle. One of the most important requirements, generally not needed by other countries, is that the headlights must be on 24 hours a day. Like these requirements, there are several others to follow as you drive down the picturesque roads of the countryside.
Speed limit laws are enforced strictly for important reasons. Because Sweden is a heavily forested place with 54% forest area, there are several wild animals that can cross the roads at any time. As a result there are “Animal” signs posted at intervals that must be taken seriously. The general speed limits range between 50-110 kph depending on where you are driving.
Seatbelts are compulsory both at the front and rear. Children under 7 years of age must be controlled in standard seats. If you are an international tourist, it is advisable to carry your driving license, insurance documents, vehicle registration documents and your passport.
Sweden is one of the few countries in the world that still has functioning trams. Therefore, trams have priority over cars. If a tram stops and there is no road crossing for the passengers to reach the sidewalk, the cars must stop to allow the passengers to cross. Although pedestrians have priority over cars, they are required to cross only at designated crossings.
The wide roads in Sweden allow you to drive relatively slowly without causing trouble to the other drivers. However, you must be careful on narrows roads where solid white lines are drawn at intervals to indicate that visibility is impaired in either direction. Therefore one must take extra precaution while driving on these roads.
Although fines are taken for offences, the police are not authorized to collect fines on the spot. If two or more offences are on record and the next fine brings the total to over 2500 Kr, the driver must go to court.
Sweden imposes heavy fines on violation of parking laws. Most cities operate on parking meters usually checked between 8 am and 6 pm. Parking is usually done on the right hand side of the road. You must be careful while parking at night to ensure that you do not park on a road that is going to be cleaned.
It is always useful to know a few words in Swedish to ensure a smooth ride down the countryside of Sweden. Keeping these rules and regulations in mind will definitely help you to make the best of driving in Sweden.