On September 3, 1967, the Swedes changed direction of movement, moving from left to right. Story of a logistical feat.
Giant H’s in hexagons. Officials armed with notebooks, observing the crosswalks. In the summer of 1967, a curious merry-go-round is brewing on the roads of Sweden. Small step back. Unlike Denmark, Norway or Finland, the Swedish Kingdom then still rolls “English”. The reversal of the direction of circulation, however discussed in 1927, came up against the force of habit and the fear of costs.
Even the reformist impetus of the Prime Minister Take Erlander – nicknamed “Le Long” for its XXL size and its two decades in power – at the end of the Second World War did not convince his compatriots. Questioned by referendum on October 16, 1955, they overwhelmingly voted “Nej” (82.9%) to change management.
At that time, however, anxious to anticipate the change and to facilitate their exports to the rest of Europe, the national manufacturers Saab or Volvo already deliver their vehicles with the steering wheel on the left in their own country, thus placing drivers in a hazardous position when overtaking.
Friendly but nagging pressure from road safety associations, neighboring countries and car manufacturers are putting the issue back on the agenda. In 1963, the Prime Minister and parliament agreed to form a Commission for Right-Hand Traffic. His mission ? Find practical solutions to a host of problems. How to reverse the signs and adapt the intersections? Where to put the bus stops and mailboxes? Above all : how to avoid a cascade of accidents at the time of the transition?
To get the message across, Olof Palme, then young minister of communication, opened the work of the commission to advertisers, journalists, sociologists and psychologists and sprinkle it all with 30 million crowns, the equivalent of 27 million euros. An unusual effort in a neutral country, which had escaped the excesses of propaganda and personality cult during World War II.
Stay right, Svensson!
Brochures, cassettes, stadium reminders and messages in pastors’ sermons and… milk cartons to remind children to look both ways before crossing the road. A journalist from the tabloid Expressen writes the pleasant ritornello Håll dig till höger, Svensson (left right, Svensson) sung by The Telstars, the local Beatles. Subtlety: in Swedish, to go left means to cheat on his or her partner.
The star of this vast communication operation is the hexagonal panel H (for “höger”, right in French). According to experts, it is designed “scientifically” to optimize its visibility: 12 million stickers representing it are printed for just under 8 million souls.
“No inhabitant of this country will be able to escape the fact that Sweden will drive on the right. Even a prisoner on the run must know ” explained to the Herald Tribune a certain Lars Skiöld. An executive member of the Committee, this sturdy fellow earned the nickname of Högergeneralen (“right-wing general”) among the public.
Waiting 5 hours
It is this same Lars Skiöld who draws the main lines of Sunday night September 3. All traffic is stopped from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., apart from essential services (taxis, ambulances, police, etc.). In the twilight, roadmakers unpack the new traffic lights, hitherto hidden by black plastic. We turn over the direction signs, we repaint the lines.
a Glasgow Herald special correspondent describes the scene : “In front of my hotel located on one of the main intersections in Stockholm, the crowd gathered well before 4 o’clock. Firecrackers burst out and teenagers formed an impromptu chorus ”. The few vehicles authorized to move forward (still on the left) are required to stop at 4:50 a.m., slip into the other lane and wait, lights on. The police are watching and the radio is broadcasting a countdown. At 5 o’clock precisely, you can leave while keeping your right, whether your name is Svensson or not. The day has already dawned.
In big cities like Stockholm or Malmö, traffic remains low until midday, allowing more time to adapt complex intersections, like the incredible Slussen interchange. We are launching 8,000 new buses in the Kingdom, 360,000 signs have been modified. Known for his car collection, Prince Bertil of Sweden speaks highly of the reform in a televised intervention.
The total cost of the operation is estimated at SEK 628 million (580 million euros today), which is barely 5% of the planned budget. Civil servants justify their excellent reputation. On Monday, 157 minor accidents were reported by the police, but no fatal crash. Better still, the end of 1967 was excellent in terms of accidents, no doubt because of the increased vigilance of road users.
The curves will go up quickly during the following years: the change of direction did not revolutionize the habits as regards road safety. This will not prevent Iceland from imitating the switch from 1968. One question remains: would such an operation be possible today in one of the 75 countries or territories where we still drive on the left? “Nej”, most likely.
Photo: Jan Collsiöö / Public Domain
To read on auto-moto.com:
The secret history of the Renault Clio V6
December 22, 1989: a Dacia changes history
What was the automobile like in East Germany?
The tragic (and somewhat comical) story of Anton S. and his Wartburg
On September 3, 1967, the Swedes changed direction of movement, moving from left to right. Story of a logistical feat.
Giant H’s in hexagons. Officials armed with notebooks, observing the crosswalks. In the summer of 1967, a curious merry-go-round is brewing on the roads of Sweden. Small step back. Unlike Denmark, Norway or Finland, the Swedish Kingdom then still rolls “English”. The reversal of the direction of circulation, however discussed in 1927, came up against the force of habit and the fear of costs.
Even the reformist impetus of the Prime Minister Take Erlander – nicknamed “Le Long” for its XXL size and its two decades in power – at the end of the Second World War did not convince his compatriots. Questioned by referendum on October 16, 1955, they overwhelmingly voted “Nej” (82.9%) to change management.
At that time, however, anxious to anticipate the change and to facilitate their exports to the rest of Europe, the national manufacturers Saab or Volvo already deliver their vehicles with the steering wheel on the left in their own country, thus placing drivers in a hazardous position when overtaking.
Friendly but nagging pressure from road safety associations, neighboring countries and car manufacturers are putting the issue back on the agenda. In 1963, the Prime Minister and parliament agreed to form a Commission for Right-Hand Traffic. His mission ? Find practical solutions to a host of problems. How to reverse the signs and adapt the intersections? Where to put the bus stops and mailboxes? Above all : how to avoid a cascade of accidents at the time of the transition?
To get the message across, Olof Palme, then young minister of communication, opened the work of the commission to advertisers, journalists, sociologists and psychologists and sprinkle it all with 30 million crowns, the equivalent of 27 million euros. An unusual effort in a neutral country, which had escaped the excesses of propaganda and personality cult during World War II.
Stay right, Svensson!
Brochures, cassettes, stadium reminders and messages in pastors’ sermons and… milk cartons to remind children to look both ways before crossing the road. A journalist from the tabloid Expressen writes the pleasant ritornello Håll dig till höger, Svensson (left right, Svensson) sung by The Telstars, the local Beatles. Subtlety: in Swedish, to go left means to cheat on his or her partner.
The star of this vast communication operation is the hexagonal panel H (for “höger”, right in French). According to experts, it is designed “scientifically” to optimize its visibility: 12 million stickers representing it are printed for just under 8 million souls.
“No inhabitant of this country will be able to escape the fact that Sweden will drive on the right. Even a prisoner on the run must know ” explained to the Herald Tribune a certain Lars Skiöld. An executive member of the Committee, this sturdy fellow earned the nickname of Högergeneralen (“right-wing general”) among the public.
Waiting 5 hours
It is this same Lars Skiöld who draws the main lines of Sunday night September 3. All traffic is stopped from 1 a.m. to 6 a.m., apart from essential services (taxis, ambulances, police, etc.). In the twilight, roadmakers unpack the new traffic lights, hitherto hidden by black plastic. We turn over the direction signs, we repaint the lines.
a Glasgow Herald special correspondent describes the scene : “In front of my hotel located on one of the main intersections in Stockholm, the crowd gathered well before 4 o’clock. Firecrackers burst out and teenagers formed an impromptu chorus ”. The few vehicles authorized to move forward (still on the left) are required to stop at 4:50 a.m., slip into the other lane and wait, lights on. The police are watching and the radio is broadcasting a countdown. At 5 o’clock precisely, you can leave while keeping your right, whether your name is Svensson or not. The day has already dawned.
In big cities like Stockholm or Malmö, traffic remains low until midday, allowing more time to adapt complex intersections, like the incredible Slussen interchange. We are launching 8,000 new buses in the Kingdom, 360,000 signs have been modified. Known for his car collection, Prince Bertil of Sweden speaks highly of the reform in a televised intervention.
The total cost of the operation is estimated at SEK 628 million (580 million euros today), which is barely 5% of the planned budget. Civil servants justify their excellent reputation. On Monday, 157 minor accidents were reported by the police, but no fatal crash. Better still, the end of 1967 was excellent in terms of accidents, no doubt because of the increased vigilance of road users.
The curves will go up quickly during the following years: the change of direction did not revolutionize the habits as regards road safety. This will not prevent Iceland from imitating the switch from 1968. One question remains: would such an operation be possible today in one of the 75 countries or territories where we still drive on the left? “Nej”, most likely.
Photo: Jan Collsiöö / Public Domain
To read on auto-moto.com:
The secret history of the Renault Clio V6
December 22, 1989: a Dacia changes history
What was the automobile like in East Germany?
The tragic (and somewhat comical) story of Anton S. and his Wartburg
