September 3, 1967: Sweden switched from left-hand traffic to right-hand traffic

https://i.redd.it/rj9s992vwumf1.jpeg

by hodgkinthepirate

9 comments

  1. Dagen H (H day) was the day, 3 September 1967, on which traffic in Sweden switched from driving on the left-hand side of the road to the right. The “H” stands for “Högertrafik”, the Swedish word for “right traffic”.

    After all, Sweden’s Scandinavian neighbors were on the right side of the road, most of Europe was on the right side of the road, and Swedish cars had left-hand steering.

    Sweden’s early automotive era relied on imported American automobiles. Sweden had, nevertheless, maintained a dominant left-hand traffic system since the mid-18th century.

    By the 1950s and 1960s, increased auto traffic and more developed roads created dangerous overtaking situations due to the mismatch of left-hand roads and American-style left-side drive.

    Therefore, the Swedes implemented a switch in the name of logic, safety, and consistency with their Scandinavian and continental counterparts.

    For more reading about this, click the link below:

    * https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/07/dagen-h-sweden-switches-to-driving-on-the-right-1967

    * https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/dagen-h-sweden-1967/

  2. Sounds like someone was upset about England winning the world cup the previous year.

    QQ

  3. must’ve been complete chaos for a few days! Imagine getting up for work, coffee in hand, still half-asleep and BAM! Gotta drive on the ‘wrong’ side now.

  4. This chaos could have been avoided had they just swapped in smaller increments.
    Like, first heavy traffic swaps sides and a week later the rest.

  6. Maybe it would have went better if all the pedestrians got out of the road.

  8. If I recall correctly, the switch happened at noon. That was on purpose Everyone would be completely aware of what was going on, rather than waking up and getting into routine and getting on the wrong side of the road.

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