Read at 3 different speeds

Young teens take to road in Sweden - 21st April 2023

15 year old Evelina, has no need for a bus pass or daily lifts to school given that she has her very own wheels, in the form of this five series BMW.

A century-old piece of legislation in Sweden provides a loophole for children aged 15 and above to drive licence-free, albeit at the restricted speed of 30 kilometres an hour.

So Evelina has the freedom to go out with her classmates under her own steam.

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 so-called A-traktors sprang up in rural parts of Sweden during periods of financial challenge, and were cobbled together utilising anything to hand. In more prosperous times, youngsters used these makeshift motors to move about freely.

In the 21st century, the desire for customised vehicles has struck a chord with rural and urban Swedish teenagers alike, as Ronja Löfgren's enthusiasm demonstrates.

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." 

Running a specialist garage which converts high-end cars into A-traktors, entrepreneur Oskar Flyman describes the modifications, besides speed, necessary to qualify as an A-traktor.

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."

Sweden's roads carry in excess of 50,000 such vehicles these days, but a surge in A-traktor-related incidents has attracted sharp criticism from the European Commission, which is seeking new legislation with regard to the introduction of a simplified licence.

For Swedish teens, these vehicle hybrids symbolise a dream of independence, and it's not a dream they're prepared to abandon.