Transport > Europe > Car travel > Driving in Sweden
Driving in Sweden
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years. The legal blood alcohol limit is 20 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50km/h (30 mph) in built-up areas, 70km/h (44 mph) or 90km/h (56 mph) outside built-up areas, and 110km/h (68 mph) on motorways (though this is reduced to 90km/h near major towns). Cars towing a trailer are limited to 80km/h (50 mph). Large elongated arrows on the highway signify the minimum distance you are expected to maintain between your vehicle and the next.
Trams have priority. When a tram stops and there is no island to accept disembarking passengers, drivers must yield to passengers crossing to the sidewalk. Pedestrians have priority on a pedestrian crossing, but they're required to cross streets at a crossing only.
You must use headlights at all times when operating a vehicle. Use of the horn is illegal in built-up areas except in cases of immediate and extreme danger. Outside built-up areas, you're encouraged to signal with the horn or headlights if you intend to pass another vehicle. If a vehicle behind you signals that it wants to pass, you must acknowledge it with your vehicle's right indicator if from your vantage point the road ahead is clear.
If you're driving relatively slowly, other drivers will expect you to move over onto the shoulder of the road to let them pass; the road shoulders in Sweden are extra wide to accommodate this practice. On steep hills this shoulder takes on the status of a full-fledged lane. Do not, however, use the shoulder as if it were another lane. Some narrow roads forego using a solid white line to indicate a zone where passing is dangerous; instead these roads are divided by elongated white lines at short intervals. These lines mean that visibility is impaired in one or both directions and that any passing should be undertaken with special care. Trams must be passed on the right. If there isn't an island at a tram stop, give way to boarding and alighting passengers. Trams operate in Göteborg, Malmo, and Norrköping.
Police are not empowered to collect fines on the spot. Fines range from 300 to 1200 Kr, but if two or more offences are already on record and the new fine or fines brings the total over 2500 Kr the offender must go to court.
Parking
Maps showing parking regulations and zones in major cities may be obtained from police or local offices of the national motoring clubs. Parking metres are usually checked between 8am and 6pm. Park on the right-hand side of the road. If parking on the street overnight, check the signs to be sure you're not parking on a street that's slated to be cleaned that night. A yellow sign with a red line across its bottom means parking is somehow restricted in the vicinity. Sweden imposes incredibly high fines for parking violations.
Licences
Foreign licences are accepted for a duration of one year, after which a Swedish licence must be obtained.
Fuel
Some pumps accept 20 kr or 50 kr or 100 kr notes; These pumps are called sedel automat; old-fashioned self-serve pumps are called tanka själv. Generally, fuel stations are open from 7am to 7pm, but in cities and along main roads they stay open until 8 or 10pm, or for 24 hours. You'll have to exit the expressway to find fuel stations; but on the expressway, signs abound pointing to them. In general, credit cards are accepted. Leaded super petrol has an octane rating of 96 (normal) or 98 (premium). Unleaded petrol is called blyfri 95 (or 98); and it has an octane rating of 95 (or 98). Diesel is, in fact, called diesel. LPG is called autogas. Propane is called gasol. Petrol and diesel are both dispensed from green pumps. You may carry 30 litres of spare fuel.
