Why Sweden should be a role model in transport policy

I am a cliché. And I think in clichés. At least when it comes to Germany and cars. In search of my first own vehicle, only German models were eligible for me at the time. Mercedes, BMW, Audi or VW. From me also 30 years old. Doesn’t matter. And the German motorway? I was considered the best strip of asphalt in the world.

Whenever I went on vacation, I was looking for confirmation for my clichés, and at some point I also found it: In the mountains of Albania, I quickly stated, as standard, you use the oncoming lane to cut the curves. Scandal! In Italy you don’t need a warning signal of parking sensors, most of them are enough for a “pong” if your own bumper touches your neighbors. In France, when I stood in front of the traffic light, I always looked restlessly into the rearview mirror – full of fear, whether someone would not drive me back on the back, so late you broke there. At least I found.

The other day, however, I was in Sweden, on Gotland, more precisely, an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea. The Northern European country is considered one of the safest in the world when it comes to traffic. In 2024 there was no single road dead in Gotland, the largest Swedish island. Also no seriously injured. Well, you may say that they have just 60,000 inhabitants. However, over a million tourists come to the island every year who also drive a car. I was one of them.

So while I drove my rental car across the island, I noticed that I never had to escape over the other road users. Or wanted to swear. Do they just drive better here? Is the cool Nordic species? And does that turn off?

But it quickly became clear to me: it is not the personalities that make the difference – it is politics. I always saw speed camera. And the fines for alcohol and drugs behind the wheel are still immense. In everything you can tell: It is not about people driving from A to B as quickly as possible, it is about nobody being killed. Sweden already issued this goal in the 1990s.

Traffic is designed for security and consideration. And so people also drive: relaxed, prudent, reasonable. No daring overtaking maneuvers on the country road, no lawn by small old town gases. Driving on the Gotland holiday island, it is actually a little like: vacation. No stress. A lot of relaxation.

I have to think of Berlin, Frankfurt and Hamburg, cities full of cars, with angry drivers in it, along with bike paths that end in nowhere. To the jackets on the highway, which give with 180 lights. To the accidents, the dead on the supposedly so safe highways.

Driving on Gotland, which is also a lesson in modesty. Or one in terms of hybris, namely my own. When it comes to car, we Germans are no longer world champions. The Chinese electricityers are cheaper, drive on, are more modern. But we could also learn a lot in transport policy.

After four days, I give up the rental car happy and satisfied. Thanks Gotland! Another cliché.