Read at 3 different speeds

Swedish children in driving seat - 21st April 2023

Aged 15, Evelina gets to drive in a 5 series BMW. But despite the model, this vehicle is limited to a maximum speed of a mere 30 kilometres an hour. A century-old regulation in Sweden permits those 15 and older, without a driving licence, to take a reduced-speed vehicle onto the road.

Evelina regularly gets into the driver's seat on her trips to and from school and to socialise with friends.

Evelina Christiansen: "Yeah, so, here in the back, I have a bass. So, when we have all these meetings with my friends I usually play this when I open this. So, it's high music. I think it's like driving a normal car because this is very much like, you see, the other cars and I think it's just, you learn quickly."

These limited-speed vehicles, known as A-traktors, were originally used in rural areas during difficult times, assembled from whatever was available. As the economic situation progressed, young people began to use these home-styled vehicles to get around. Decades later, interest in home-built vehicles is now high in both urban and rural areas, as Ronja Löfgren proudly indicates.

Ronja Löfgren: "We've rebuilt the front bumper. Here it is, "Made by my dad" and we've put new wheel guards on, however we took the rear axle from my dad's old truck."

Garage owner Oskar Flyman modifies cars into A-traktors and makes it clear that the speed issue is just one element in the procedure.

Oskar Flyman: "This is an A-traktor. We have attached this, the warning triangle, we've attached the towing hook that you have to have. We've limited the amount of space in the back so you can't load more people or cargo and we have also put limits to the engine so that it only goes at 30 kilometres per hour."

There are now more than 50,000 A-traktors on the Swedish road network but a sharp rise in road accidents has meant that the vehicles aren't without their opponents. The European Commission has criticised the system and wants a simplified licence to be brought in.

Even so, A-traktors represent independence for numerous teenagers and they're unlikely to surrender this freedom willingly.