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GENDER EQUALITY

These stats show Swedish driving isn’t so gender equal

Sweden has a reputation for being streets ahead of other countries when it comes to gender issues, yet a new survey shows that only two out of ten Swedish women get behind the wheel of a car when they are out for a drive with their male partner.

Published: 25 October 2016 12:24 CEST

These stats show Swedish driving isn't so gender equal

File photo of a Swedish woman driving a car. Photo: Pontus Lundahl/TT

The study by pollsters Sifo also revealed that only 17 percent of Swedish couples share driving duties equally.

One explanation for the phenomenon could be the lasting legacy from earlier generations: 72 percent of the people who took part said their fathers drove when they were growing up.

According to Swedish road safety organization NTF, a greater balance in driving duties could improve driver safety.

“If you switch drivers more often then both partners get more driving time and more experience. A greater sharing of driving duties can create safer conditions and less fatigue on longer trips,” NTF chairperson Monica Green said in a press release.

The road safety organization has now launched a campaign alongside car manufacturer Ford to try to promote gender equality behind the wheel, and even argues that women are more risk conscious than men when driving.

In the Sifo survey of drivers meanwhile, 41 percent of participants said they believe women are better drivers. By comparison, only ten percent said they thought men were.

Along with driving, there are other areas where Sweden may not be quite as far ahead in the equality stakes as some would presume.

Last week, a study on the gender pay gap showed that inequality in pay between men and women in the Nordic country is at a level close to the European average, and Sweden is significantly more unequal in that regard than countries like Slovenia.

The Swedish government has even set up a new agency this year tasked with achieving a gender equal society.

EXPLAINED: When can a child sit in the front seat of a car in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, a simple rule for taking children in motor vehicles has been in place for a good two decades: Every child up to a height of 150 cm or the age of 12 must travel in a suitable child seat.

Its Austrian neighbour has even stricter rules in place. Babies and children in Austria must be correctly secured in a child’s seat up to the age of 14 if they are below 135 cm in height.

The German law takes a more relaxed approach and regulates that children from the age of 12 or those that are taller than 150 cm can ride in the vehicle without a child seat – with the appropriate seat belt, of course.

When can a child sit in the front?

According to the law in Switzerland, once a child has reached a height of 150 cm, they can sit anywhere in the car with or without a child or booster seat.

However, a child needs to reach a minimum height of 150 cm for the safety belts to guarantee their safety in a way that the neck is not constricted while driving in the event of sudden braking or an accident.

In principle, children are allowed to sit on the front passenger seat regardless of their age, however, this is not recommended by experts who argue that children are much safer in the back of the car. Furthermore, if a vehicle is equipped with airbags, rear-facing car seats may only be used if the front airbag on the passenger’s side is deactivated.

A driver at the Stelvio Pass, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Switzerland.

A driver at the Stelvio Pass, Santa Maria Val Müstair, Switzerland. Photo by Jaromír Kavan on Unsplash

Can I be fined for my child travelling without an appropriate car seat?

You can and you will. The fine for transporting an unsecured child under the age of 12 is 60 francs, which, given the risk driving without an appropriate child seat poses to your child’s life, is mild.

But what about public transport?

Though this may seem illogical to some, Switzerland does not have any safety laws dictating that car seats be used on its buses, meaning it is not uncommon to see mothers standing in the aisle of a packed bus with a baby in a sling while struggling to hold on to a pole for stability.

Though politicians did briefly discuss equipping buses with baby and child seats in 2017 to avoid potential risks to minors, nothing came of it. Ultimately, supplying buses with special seats or introducing seat belts proved unrealistic given the number of seats and considering how often people hop on and off a bus – there is a stop almost every 300 metres in Switzerland.

Instead, drivers are now better informed of the dangers posed to minors travelling on their vehicles and parents are advised to leave children in strollers and not load those with heavy shopping bags.

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