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DRIVING

How to stay safe on snowy Swedish roads

It may be April but it's very much still winter in large parts of Sweden, and navigating the icy, slippery, and snow-covered Swedish roads is nothing less than a challenge. Here's how to make sure your car can handle the weather.

Published: 13 November 2018 12:11 CET
Updated: 3 April 2024 12:02 CEST
File photo of cars on a snowy street in Stockholm
Stay safe on Sweden's roads in winter conditions. Photo: Erik Johansen/NTB Scanpix/TT

Swedish weather can be changeable at this time of year, switching from spring sun and showers to snow and ice storms and freezing cold temperatures. If you plan to drive in these types of road conditions, you need to be prepared. We’ve gathered together our best tips:

Prep your car

Change to winter tyres. Swedish law states that all cars must be equipped with winter tyres between December 1st and March 31st if the weather conditions require it.

If your car doesn’t have them or if they are not up to scratch (a tread depth of at least three millimetres), you risk a fine of 1,200 kronor.

There are no rules against putting winter tyres on your car early or keeping them on past March 31st, so be sure to check the weather forecast and wait until the risk of snow and frost has passed before you change to summer tyres.

Winter tyres radically decrease the risk of skidding and improve a vehicle’s overall braking capacity on slippery surfaces, reducing the risk of accidents.

In general, studded winter tyres are better suited for icy roads or on surfaces with hard-packed snow, while stud-free tyres work better on roads with soft snow. Pay attention though: studded tyres are illegal on some streets in major Swedish cities for air pollution reasons.

Studded tyres are allowed between October 1st and April 15th, or in wintery driving conditions.

Make sure the windshield wiper fluid contains anti-freeze. And remember to check the temperature range it can handle – if you’re driving to Sweden from a warmer country your windshield wiper fluid may not be suitable for very cold temperatures. That means it could freeze or even, in the worst-case scenario, crack the tank.

Check the car lights. Visibility decreases radically in winter conditions, especially during storms.

Equip your car for emergencies. In case you get stuck in the snow, make sure to always have a warm set of clothes and a blanket in your car. It’s also a good idea to have an ice scraper, a shovel, a torch, a tow-rope, a reflective vest, starting cables and a bag of sand (sand helps the tyres get a grip). Also stock up on fast energy foods, such as raisins or candy, as well as tealights or candles, matches and a lighter to keep warm.

How to drive

Driving on a winter surface requires different skills and reflexes than we are used to. Plan your car’s movements in advance, since the more slippery surface adds to the risk of losing control of the car, and makes braking distances far longer. You should therefore:

– Avoid braking abruptly.

– If you still have to brake, and your car is not equipped with an ABS-braking system, use the “pump-braking” method, meaning you first step on the brakes and then let go to, then step on them again. This prevents the wheels from locking (which will cause the car to skid). If your car is equipped with an ABS-braking system, then use the brakes as you would normally.

– Drive in the highest gear possible on slippery surfaces in order to get a better grip.

– Only accelerate in a controlled and moderate manner.

– Keep a greater distance from other cars than you normally would.

– Avoid sudden movements of the steering wheel.

High-risk ice zones where you should pay particular attention

– Bridges

– Areas in the shade

– Valleys

– Near lakes and rivers

– Open landscapes

Signs of slippery road conditions

– Ice and frost on the windows of the vehicle

– Shiny road surface

– Other drivers seem to be driving unusually slowly

If you get stuck in the snow

– The rule of thumb is always: warn, leave and alert. Turn on the car’s hazard-warning signals, put on your reflective jacket and place a warning triangle on the roof of the car if you’ve driven off the road, or well ahead of the car if it’s still on the road. Then stay out of the road and call or look for help, and alert authorities if you have to. If someone is seriously hurt or their life is in danger, call Sweden’s emergency number 112. If you are stuck in a traffic jam along with other cars rather than alone by the side of the road then it may be a good idea to stay in your car to keep warm.

– If the wheels are spinning in the snow, you can place spruce twigs (widely available in northern Sweden) by the front of the tyres to allow them to get a better grip, and/or use sand for the same purpose.

Other tips and tricks

– Clean all dirt by the doors with a cloth. If the temperature drops below freezing, any remaining dirt could cause a door to freeze shut. Apply silicone spray or glycerine on door weatherstrippings to make them less prone to freezing.

– If your car is equipped with a keyless system, make sure to know how to turn on the car manually.

– Keep in mind that a car needs a lot of energy to warm up and will therefore drain your car battery faster in cold conditions. One of the best ways to save your battery (and ensure your car always starts) is to equip your car with a heating unit that you turn on five to ten minutes before heading out on the roads.

– If you wash your car, ensure that it is completely dry before you head out with it in the cold to avoid doors and windows freezing.

Article written by Louise Nordström in 2018 and updated by The Local’s editorial team in 2024

Member comments

  1. I noticed that the new LED rear lights doesn’t have the suficiente heat to unfrezze the ice and this block the break light to be visible. EU needs to prohibit LED rear lights.

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DRIVING

How do you appeal a parking ticket in Sweden?

Getting a parking ticket can ruin even the best of days. However, motorists in Sweden have the right to appeal and get their money back if a mistake has been made.

Published: 1 August 2024 10:43 CEST
How do you appeal a parking ticket in Sweden?

Receiving a parking ticket is always a frustrating experience, particularly if you’re in a country where you might not be entirely familiar with the relevant rules and procedures.

If you do end up having to deal with such a situation in Sweden, know that you have the right to appeal the ticket if you believe it was issued unfairly or in error – as long as you’re the registered owner of a vehicle in the Swedish Road Traffic Register (or an equivalent foreign register, for that matter).

READ MORE: The nine ways you can lose your driving licence in Sweden

Did you receive a ticket despite having a valid parking permit? Did the parking meter malfunction? Or do you believe the signs in the area were misleading?

If any of the above is the case, here’s what you should know (and do) to start an appeal case.

An important distinction: Parking fines (parkeringsanmärkning) vs parking charge notices (kontrollavgift)

Before proceeding with your appeal, it’s important to distinguish between a parking fine (parkeringsanmärkningin Swedish) and a parking charge notice (kontrollavgift).

The easy rule of thumb is that if you parked on a city street when you got a fine, you’ll likely be dealing with a standard parking fine. If, however, you used a private parking area, then chances are you’ll need to deal with a parking charge notice.

The Swedish police handle parking fines issued on municipal streets, while private parking companies issue parking charge notices for parking violations on private land.

So, if you want to challenge a parking fine that you received on a municipal street, contact the police.

However, if you want to contest a parking charge notice, you’ll need to get in touch with the private parking company that issued it.

The payment and deadline rules

Unfortunately, even if you believe there’s been a mistake and intend to challenge the parking fine, you must still pay it initially.

If your challenge is accepted, the amount you paid will be refunded.

Remember that you need to submit your appeal to the Swedish police no later than six months after you paid the fine or after the Swedish Enforcement Authority took action to collect the sum owed for the fine.

If you miss the deadline to pay your parking fine, you might also face an increased charge (which you also have the right to challenge). The Swedish Transport Agency is in charge of monitoring payments.

READ ALSO: EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

There are different payment rules in place for parking charge notices (kontrollavgift), however.

If you believe the parking charge notice you received is incorrect, do not pay it, as paying it means you’ve accepted the charge.

Instead, first, reach out to the private company that issued the notice to dispute it.

Can I challenge a parking fine online?

Luckily, the answer is yes (as long as you have a Swedish personal identity number/coordination number; if not, you’ll need to use a form) – the Swedish police have an online service you can use to challenge your parking fine, add more information to a previous challenge, or appeal a police decision on an earlier challenge.

The wizard will guide you on what actions you can and need to take.

What should I include in my appeal?

Simply stating that the parking fine was incorrect is rarely enough to get your parking ticket revoked.

You should gather and prepare all the necessary documentation to support your challenge (think photos, receipts, and the like).

The police’s online platform accepts JPG, PNG, DOCX, and PDF files, with a maximum file size of 10 MB at the time of writing.

Note: Before you challenge a parking fine, however, check whether you have sufficient grounds to do so. The Swedish police lists some of the most common challenges that it receives that do not meet the requirements for waiving payment liability on its website.

What can I do if my appeal is rejected?

If the police have rejected your challenge, you have the right to appeal their decision.

In that case, your appeal must be received by the authorities no later than three weeks after you receive the decision.

The online service can be used for four weeks after the decision is made. If this time has expired or if you cannot or do not wish to use the online service, you can also send your appeal in by email or post.

If you submit the appeal on time, the police will then send it to the district court together with other documentation in the case, and the court will look into the case.

Obvious errors on your parking fine

If you notice an obvious error on your parking fine, such as the wrong license plate number or make of vehicle, you can apply for rectification.

This path is used to address other factual inaccuracies that are easily verifiable. When you apply for rectification, you are basically requesting that the authority correct these mistakes without going through the full challenge or appeal process.

If the rectification request is straightforward and the error is unmistakable, the fine can be adjusted or cancelled accordingly.

To do this, take the parking fine to a police station within a few days of receiving it. The officers will review the mistake, and if it’s clear-cut, they will correct it on the spot.

However, if the rectification is not approved, you can proceed by challenging the parking fine through the standard process described beforehand.

Sweden’s parking rules can be a bit perplexing. One of our readers was fined 4,000 kronor after the rules changed on their street.

However, if you learn these rules, you should keep your annual ticket bill in the country to a minimum.

You can also find more information about common questions about road signs and general traffic rules in Sweden in the “Stopping and Parking” brochure issued by the Swedish Transport Agency.

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