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Sweden

Tolls, tips and driving advice

Touring tips

Drinking and driving: If the level of alcohol in the bloodstream is 0.02 per cent or more severe penalties include fines, withdrawal of license and / or prison.

Driving license: The minimum age at which an Irish license holder may drive a temporarily imported car is 18.

Fines: Police can impose but not collect fines on the spot for minor traffic offences. Fines must be paid at a bank within 2-3 weeks. Illegally parked vehicles may be towed away and the release charge is up to 1,400 SEK.

Fuel: Unleaded – Blyfri (95 & 98 octane) and Diesel are available, very limited amounts of LPG are availability. Petrol in a can is permitted. Credit cards are accepted at filling stations, check with your card issuer for usage in Sweden before travel.

Lights: Use of dipped headlights during the day is compulsory. Fines will be imposed for inadequate lighting.

Motorcycles: Use of dipped headlights during the day is compulsory. The wearing of crash helmets is compulsory.

Motor Insurance: Third-party motor insurance is compulsory.

Passengers/Children in cars: Children aged under 15 or under 135cms must use an appropriate child restraint. There is only one exception in that they are permitted to travel unrestrained in the rear of a taxi if the right child restraint is not available. A child aged 15 and over or 135cms in height may use an adult seat belt.

A child less than 140cm is permitted to travel in the front seat of any vehicle only if the passenger seat airbag is deactivated.

A rear facing baby seat may only be used if the air-bag has been deactivated. Children weighing up to 13kg must use a baby restraint facing backwards and can be placed on the front or back seats. It is only permitted to have the seat forward facing once the child weighs more than 18kg.

Seat belts: It is compulsory for front / rear seat occupants to wear seat belts, if fitted.

Speed limits: Speed limits are no longer based on the type of road, but on the quality and safety of the actual road itself. Speed limits may subsequently vary along the same road. It is therefore recommended to pay particular attention to road signs. The lowest speed limits, which may be varied by signs, for private vehicles without trailers are: 30 km/h in built-up areas and 70 km/h outside built-up areas, 100km/h on dual carriageways and 110km/ph on motorways. Vehicles with trailers must never exceed 80 km/h.

If in doubt, or if there is no speed limits indicated, drivers are advised to keep to 70km/h until you pass a speed limit sign.

Compulsory equipment:

  • Winter tyres – From the 1st Dec to 31st March, it is compulsory to use winter tyres (marked M&S) with a minimum tread depth of 3mm in winter road conditions. This period varies according to weather conditions. Winter road conditions include snow, ice or a wet road surface combined with temperatures around or below 0 degrees. The police are authorised to make the final decision on whether winter conditions affect a specific road. If there are no winter road conditions, summer tyres are allowed, even between the 1st December and the 31st March. As weather conditions cannot be predicted it is strongly advised to use winter tyres.
  • Antifreeze – in vehicle windscreen fluid
  • A Shovel – to clear snow

Other rules/requirements:

A warning triangle, first aid kit, tow rope, jump leads, reflective jacket and fire extinguisher are recommended.

Motorists should beware of game such as moose, deer, etc. This constitutes a very real danger on many roads and motorists are warned via a yellow warning triangle with a red border depicting the animal most common to that particular stretch of road.

Spiked tyres (which must be fitted on all wheels) may be used 1st October to the 15th April, however, local authorities have the power to ban spiked/studded tyres on their roads. Snow chains may also be used if the weather or road conditions require.

Congestion charges in Stockholm do not apply to foreign registered vehicles.

The use of radar detectors is strictly forbidden.

In some towns and suburban areas, parking restrictions are regulated by the date ‘Datumparkering’. On odd days parking is not permitted on the side of the road with odd numbers. On even days, parking is not permitted on the side of the road with even numbers.

This information should be read in conjunction with general advice for motoring in Europe

Toll Prices

There are no tolled roads in Sweden. A congestion charge, implemented on August 1st 2007 does apply however in Stockholm’s inner city. The amount of tax payable depends on what time of the day a motorist enters or exits the congestion tax area. There is no charge on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays or the day before public holidays, nor during nights (18:30 – 06:29), nor during the month of July. The maximum amount of tax per vehicle per day is 60 SEK (6.30 EUR).

Time of day Tax In other currencies*
00:00 – 06:29 0 SEK
06:30 – 06:59 10 SEK 1.05 EUR, 1.29 USD
07:00 – 07:29 15 SEK 1.58 EUR, 1.94 USD
07:30 – 08:29 20 SEK 2.10 EUR, 2.58 USD
08:30 – 08:59 15 SEK
09:00 – 15:29 10 SEK
15:30 – 15:59 15 SEK
16:00 – 17:29 20 SEK
17:30 – 17:59 15 SEK
18:00 – 18:29 10 SEK
18:30 – 23:59 0 SEK

* Tax amount shown in other currencies for comparative purposes. Currency rates as of June 29, 2010.

There is also a toll on the Øresund Bridge which connects Copenhagen with Malmo in Southern Sweden and carries in the region of 60,000 cars daily. Visitors have several options when it comes to paying for toll passes for the bridge. Single use toll passes for cars are available for EUR 36 and for vans and similar vehicles at a cost of EUR 71. Travelers might also want to consider purchasing a 10-trip pass with a 30% discount (EUR 260 for cars.)

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