In Stockholm's wealthy suburbs, young kids are regularly seen driving Porsche Cayennes on their own. While teenagers elsewhere have to make do with a moped or scooter until they get a driver's licence, young Swedes can use almost any vehicle that has its top speed capped. The gift was a special reward for her achievements in school.
'I got it a year ago, in April, for my birthday,' Evelina tells AFP proudly in front of her dark blue 5-series BMW in the driveway of her family's home in a southern Stockholm suburb.
An almost century-old regulation originally applied to agricultural vehicles allows kids 15 and older to drive without a proper driver's licence, as long as the vehicle has been altered to have a maximum speed of 30 kilometres per hour (18.6 miles per hour).Ĭalled an 'A-traktor' - with Swedes often using 'EPA' as the older designation - these cars and trucks have become so popular in recent years that authorities are now concerned about a rise in road accidents.
