Sweden’s 1967 overnight switch to right-hand traffic rewired its roads

Sweden carried out a meticulously planned nationwide switch from left- to right-hand traffic on September 3, 1967, pausing almost all traffic at 4:50 a.m. for five minutes so nearly 2 million vehicles could cross to the opposite side at 5:00, a logistics feat accompanied by months of signage changes, road work, and a sweeping public education campaign. The move, intended to align Sweden with continental Europe and reduce cross-border confusion, was a remarkable success: accidents were minimal on the switch day, and traffic deaths for 1967 fell from earlier years, with public opinion shifting in favor of the change after its apparent safety benefits.