Traffic Rules for Cyclists

The plan's commitment is that it is the responsibility of politics, not individuals, to make sustainable alternatives simple and cheap, and that societal development should be designed so that car dependency decreases. The counter-proposal instead places the burden on cyclists through yield duties to cars, expanded helmet requirements and mobile phone bans, which works against that priority. The plan says nothing explicit about cycling rules, therefore the confidence is low.

• politics' responsibility, not individuals'decisive»Det är politikens, och inte individens, ansvar att skapa möjligheter för människor att välja enkla och billiga klimatsmarta alternativ.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is the responsibility of politics, not individuals, to create opportunities for people to choose simple and cheap climate-smart alternatives.”
• structural measures instead of individual responsibility»Att som individ försöka minska sin klimat- och miljöpåverkan är bra, men det kommer aldrig att räcka. Vi måste ta oss an klimatkrisen som samhälle.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“As an individual trying to reduce one's climate and environmental impact is good, but it will never be enough. We must tackle the climate crisis as a society.”
• reduced car dependency»så att bilberoendet minskar« (party programme ↗)“so that car dependency decreases”

The plan's critical commitment is that transport systems should be transformed to more walking, cycling and public transport; giving cyclists a duty to give way to drivers in both cases and raising the helmet requirement to 18 years instead places the burden on the cyclist and counteracts that transition. The election manifesto also rejects in principle solving traffic's climate and behavioural issues by blaming individual road users. The plan simultaneously protects safety in streets and squares, but it provides no support for precisely these tightened cycling rules.

• prioritize cyclingdecisive»Transportsystemen ska läggas om för mer gång-, cykel- och kollektivtrafik« (party programme ↗)“Transport systems shall be transformed for more walking, cycling and public transport”
• do not blame individual road users»Klimatkrisen kan aldrig lösas med att skuldbelägga människor som behöver ta bilen till affären« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate crisis can never be solved by blaming people who need to drive to the shop”
• safety in traffic environments»Till välfärdspolitiken hör också tryggheten på gator och torg« (party programme ↗)“Safety in streets and squares is also part of welfare policy”

The plan explicitly prioritizes pedestrian and cycling traffic and places investment before restrictions. To give cyclists right-of-way against motorists at both cycle crossings and cycle overpasses, raise the helmet requirement to 18 years and investigate mobile phone restrictions instead place new restrictions on the traffic type the plan wants to promote ahead of the car. The plan at the same time speaks of maintained traffic standards and traffic safety, which makes the conclusion less clear-cut.

• investments ahead of restrictionsdecisive»I det nya gröna folkhemmet sätter vi satsningar framför restriktioner« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In the new green people's home we place investments ahead of restrictions”
• cycling ahead of the car»minska bilåkandet i storstäderna och främja gång-, cykel- och kollektivtrafik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“reduce car journeys in major cities and promote walking, cycling and public transport”
• prioritized cycling»väl utbyggd kollektivtrafik och gång- och cykeltrafik« (party programme ↗)“well-developed public transport and pedestrian and cycling traffic”
• traffic safety shall be maintained»samtidigt som en hög trafikstandard« (party programme ↗)“at the same time as a high traffic standard”

flags: citat_migrerat

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan rests on freedom from paternalism and that a person's freedom can only be limited by consideration for others' equal right to freedom; helmet requirements up to age 18 and mobile bans for cyclists are just such paternalistic measures in the individual's own choices. The plan also wants it to be convenient to choose bicycle instead of car and that superfluous rules be cleaned up, while the counter-proposal imposes right-of-way duty and new requirements on the cyclist. The plan's traffic safety commitment applies to roads' standard, not sharpened rules for cyclists.

• freedom from paternalismdecisive»frihet från tvång, våld och förmynderi« (party programme ↗)“freedom from coercion, violence and paternalism”
• freedom limited only by others' freedom»En människas frihet kan i grunden endast begränsas av hänsyn till andra människors lika rätt till frihet.« (party programme ↗)“A person's freedom can basically only be limited by consideration for other people's equal right to freedom.”
• make cycling easier»Det ska dessutom vara smidigt att välja bort bilen till förmån för tåg, buss, båt och cykel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It should also be convenient to opt out of the car in favor of trains, buses, boats and bicycles.”
• fewer superfluous rules»Vi ska rensa upp bland överflödiga regler och byråkrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall clean up superfluous rules and bureaucracy.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan's position is that cycling shall be facilitated with coherent paths and that car traffic rather than cycling shall give way in crowded cities; placing the right of way on the cyclist against the car goes in the opposite direction. The plan's liberal scepticism towards increased public power claims also speaks against raising helmet age to 18 years and against bans on mobile phone use while cycling. The issue is not explicitly addressed, so the conclusion is uncertain.

• facilitate cyclingdecisive»Det behövs sammanhängande stråk för att underlätta gång- och cykeltrafik« (party programme ↗)“Coherent paths are needed to facilitate walking and cycling”
• cars give way, not bicycles»I städer med trängsel- eller miljöproblem bör nyttotrafik och kollektivtrafik ges större utrymme« (party programme ↗)“In cities with congestion or environmental problems utility traffic and public transport should be given more space”
• scepticism of regulation»en sund skepsis mot ökade offentliga maktanspråk« (party programme ↗)“a sound scepticism towards increased public power claims”
• mobility shall be facilitated»Människors frihet och välstånd gynnas av goda kommunikationer.« (party programme ↗)“People's freedom and prosperity are benefited by good communications.”

The plan holds firm to a zero vision for fatalities and serious injuries in traffic and places responsibility for safe traffic on both those who design the traffic environment and on the individual road user, which supports demands for clearer right-of-way rules, helmet requirements and limited mobile phone use for cyclists. That traffic rules shall be adapted to safety aspects also argues for a review in the direction the counter-proposal requests. However, the plan does not mention these rules, so the derivation is uncertain.

• zero vision in trafficdecisive»Det är viktigt med en nollvision för dödsfall och svåra« (party programme ↗)“It is important with a zero vision for fatalities and serious”
• the road user's own responsibility»på dem som utformar trafikmiljön, staten och kommunerna, men också på den enskilde trafikanten.« (party programme ↗)“on those who design the traffic environment, the state and municipalities, but also on the individual road user.”
• rules based on safety aspects»Hastighetsbestämmelser ska anpassas till miljö- och säkerhetsaspekter.« (party programme ↗)“Speed regulations shall be adapted to environmental and safety aspects.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan is silent about cycling rules; its traffic section deals with road maintenance, charging infrastructure and railways. The closest principles speak against the counter-proposal: red tape should be reduced significantly, and the party programme places responsibility for what is decent and responsible on the individual and citizen rather than the state. Helmet requirement up to age 18 and mobile phone ban are precisely such detailed regulation of individual behaviour. The position is therefore uncertain.

• reduced red tapedecisive»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one third of companies' administrative costs and one third of red tape”
• own responsibility, not the state's»tillsammans försöka bära upp det anständiga, ansvarsfulla och önskvärda.« (party programme ↗)“together try to uphold what is decent, responsible and desirable.”
• traffic safety via road maintenance»Laga Sveriges vägar så att du kan komma fram säkert och i tid« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Fix Sweden's roads so you can get there safely and on time”

The plan's transport policy is based on making it easier to travel by car and that the road network should be upgraded so that one can travel safely and quickly throughout the country; right-of-way requirements for cyclists against drivers and tightened safety regulations are in line with that prioritisation. However, cycling rules are not addressed at all in the documents. The plan is also sceptical of police pursuing young people for minor matters, which pulls in the opposite direction for helmet requirements and mobile phone bans; therefore, safety is low. The committee's reasons to await the Swedish Transport Agency's reviews do not concern the plan.

• car mobilitydecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill göra det lättare och billigare att ta sig fram med bilen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to make it easier and cheaper to travel by car.”
• safe and rapid traffic»Sverigedemokraterna vill rusta upp vägarna så att det ska gå att ta sig fram i hela landet säkert och snabbt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to upgrade the roads so that one can travel throughout the country safely and quickly.”
• no unnecessary burdens on young people»Vi vill höga hastighetsgränsen för A-traktorer istället för att låta polisen jaga musikspelade tonåringar på cruising.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to raise the speed limit for A-tractors instead of letting the police pursue music-playing teenagers cruising.”