Lanes and overtaking

Keep to the right

You must drive in the lane furthest to the right that is intended for your vehicle. Where the speed limit is 70 km/h or lower and there are at least two marked lanes in your direction, you may choose the lane that best suits your onward journey. There you may only change lanes to stop, park, overtake or position yourself for a turn.

Source: Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 7 och 9 §§ · Legal text (Swedish): Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276) (opens in a new tab)

Lines and lanes

• The whole car must be within one lane when the lanes are marked.
• You may not change lanes across a solid line.
• If the carriageway has four or more lanes with traffic in both directions, you may not drive in the lanes to the left of the centre. With three lanes you may not use the left one.
• You may only drive over a hatched area or a solid line with particular care, for example to pass an obstacle or drive to a property.

Source: Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 8, 9 och 11 §§ · Legal text (Swedish): Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276) (opens in a new tab)

How and when you may overtake

• Overtaking is done on the left. You overtake on the right when the car in front is turning left or clearly preparing to do so.
• You may only overtake if it can be done without danger and the lane is clear far enough ahead.
• You may not start overtaking when the driver behind you has already started to overtake you.
• Leave a safe sideways distance and move back to the right as soon as it can be done without danger.

Source: Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 31–33, 36 och 37 §§ · Legal text (Swedish): Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276) (opens in a new tab)

Where overtaking is prohibited

• just before or in a junction, unless you overtake on the right, the junction is controlled by signals or the police, or traffic on the crossing road has to give way or stop
• just before or on a level crossing without barriers or traffic signals
• at the top of hills or on bends with limited visibility, if you need to use the oncoming lane
• just before or on an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing, an uncontrolled cycle passage or a cycle crossing

Source: Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 39 och 40 §§ · Legal text (Swedish): Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276) (opens in a new tab)

When someone overtakes you

Keep as far to the right as possible and do not speed up. If you are driving slowly or take up a lot of space on a narrow or winding road, you must slow down and if necessary pull over to let others pass.

Source: Trafikförordningen 3 kap. 38 § · Legal text (Swedish): Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276) (opens in a new tab)