Country Roads
Turning Left
Turning left on a country road is one of the riskiest and most complicated manoeuvres you can make on the road. Miscalculations and high speeds can cause serious accidents.
Proceed as follows:
- Plan the turn in good time and check the traffic behind you.
- Use your indicators to signal your intentions and position the car close to the road’s centre line.
- Brake softly and in good time so that your brake lights come on and vehicles behind will not be surprised by your reduction in speed. When braking, you need to check the traffic behind you while also checking that there are no oncoming vehicles.
- If you can make the turn in a safe way then go on to make the turn.
Try to adjust your speed and braking so that you do not need to stop before making the left turn. You are permitted to stop if necessary, but this can be hazardous as there is a risk of collision from behind. If you do need to stop, make sure that your wheels are not turned. This means that if you were hit from behind, you would be knocked forward into the lane of oncoming traffic.
If you constitute a danger or unnecessary obstacle to oncoming traffic or traffic behind, then you may not make the left turn. If there is too much traffic ahead or behind, you have some other options:
- Turn right, if possible, instead of making the left turn as planned. Turn onto the connecting road, drive back to the junction and cross the country road.
- If it is not possible to make a right turn at the junction, drive straight on and turn off at the next right. Turn, drive back and make a right turn where you had planned on turning left from the other direction.
- If there is a lot of traffic behind, you can position the car to the right before the left turn and stop if necessary to let traffic overtake. Once the other vehicles have passed, you can make the left turn in peace.
The Spanish Turn
At certain accident-prone left turns on country roads there is a particular solution which reduces the number of accidents. This solution is known as the Spanish turn.
At junctions with the Spanish turn, it is not permitted to make a normal, direct left turn. Instead, you will find a turnoff to the right. This turnoff swings round and comes back, allowing you to cross the country road. This means you can avoid having to make a risky left turn.
Turning Right
Right turns on country roads are not as risky as left turns. This is because, in contrast to left turns, you do not need to cross the lane of oncoming traffic when making a right turn.
Proceed as follows:
- Plan the turn in good time and check the traffic behind you.
- Use your indicators to signal your intentions and position the car as far to the right as possible. If there is a hard shoulder, you are free to use it.
- Brake softly and in good time so that your brake lights come on and vehicles behind will not be surprised by your reduction in speed.
- Make the turn.
If you have been driving at a high speed for a longer period of time, you are at a high risk of speed blindness. This may cause you to underestimate your speed. You therefore need to be careful and make sure that you do not make the right turn at too high a speed.
Judging Distance
Many accidents are caused by drivers keeping too close to the vehicle in front. If you are driving too close to another vehicle at a high speed, you won’t have time to stop if the vehicle in front brakes suddenly. In order to reduce the risk of collision, it is therefore very important that you maintain a sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead. You can use the verge reflector posts on the road to help you judge the distance. There is a space of 50 meters between each post.
Judging What Distance you Need to Keep From the Vehicle in Front
The three-second rule is all about staying three seconds behind the vehicle in front. To use this rule, start by choosing a fixed point, such as a shadow or a road sign. When the vehicle in front passes this point, start counting the seconds. If it takes less than three seconds before you pass the same point, then you need to increase the distance.
Km/h to metres: Convert the speed you are driving at into metres. If you are driving at 70 km/h, then you should keep a distance of at least 70 metres.
Important! These rules of thumb only apply with good road conditions. If conditions are poor, then you need to increase the distance accordingly.
Oncoming Vehicles on Country Roads
On larger country roads there is often plenty of space for oncoming traffic. The only thing you need to do is keep to the right and ensure a sufficient safety distance between you and the oncoming vehicle.
On many smaller and narrower country roads, there may not be very much space for oncoming vehicles to pass. It is therefore important that you keep as far to the right as possible. This is particularly important in places where your view is obstructed (at bends and at the top of hills, for example) as it will take longer for oncoming vehicles to become visible. At the same time, though, keep in mind that there may be pedestrians by the right-hand side of the road as well.
In order to make it easier for cars to pass on narrow country roads there are sign-posted passing places where the road is widened. If you see an oncoming vehicle further down and find yourself by a passing place, then you should wait at the passing place until the oncoming vehicle has gone by.
Hard Shoulders
The hard shoulder is the part of the road that lies beyond the edge line and which is primarily used by pedestrians, cyclists, slow-moving vehicles and mopeds. As a motorist, it is important that you do not use the hard shoulder for longer stretches of driving; instead, you should only use it temporarily and when it is appropriate. For example, it is appropriate to use the hard shoulder when letting faster vehicles pass by, when overtaking and when making an emergency stop.
You should avoid using the hard shoulder in the dark or when visibility is poor, as there is a greater risk that you may collide with a pedestrian or a cyclist.
Private Roads
A large number of country roads are small, winding and in poor condition. These roads are often private roads.
If you turn onto a private road, you should be prepared to drive along a narrow road that is in poor condition and lacking road signs. You cannot be sure that a private road will be connected to another road either; it may lead to a dead end. It is therefore important that you take care and pay attention when turning onto private roads. Adjust your speed and keep as far to the right as possible when passing oncoming traffic.
Overpasses
Under Swedish law, all overpasses that are under 4.5 metres must bear a sign indicating their height. If you drive under an overpass that does not have any signage, you can therefore be sure that it is over 4.5 metres in height.
Slow-moving vehicle
Slow-moving vehicles are those which are designed to travel at speeds of no more than 45 km/h. To make sure you are aware of these vehicles, they must always be marked with an 'SMV' sign (LGF in Swedish) when driving on public roads. Examples of slow moving vehicles include mopeds, trailers and heavy machinery.
Horses
You may encounter horses both on country roads and even within built-up areas. When driving close to a horse, take care to be considerate and not to scare the horse. Remember to:
- Reduce your speed and drive calmly.
- Refrain from accelerating quickly.
- Try not to use your indicators or horn.
- Maintain a safe distance at the side.