# Cecil mixes conjecture with fact **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [March 2, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-mixes-conjecture-with-fact/394326 "2007-03-02T18:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nasorenga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@nasorenga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nasorenga)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-mixes-conjecture-with-fact/394326/1 "2007-03-02T18:35:07Z")
In the article [Why do the British drive on the Left?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_021b.html) Cecil writes > [@](#): > > [T]he Swedes … finally switched to the right in 1967 because most of the countries they sold Saabs and Volvos to were righties and they got tired of having to make different versions for domestic use and export. This is incorrect. Swedes drove cars with the drivers seat on the left even before the switch. The only Volvos and Saabs built with the steering wheel to the right were the ones destined for export to countries (like the UK) with this preference, and such cars, of course, continued to be built that way after the switch. For further information see [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driving_on_the_left_or_right) Buses, on the other hand, had to be replaced, since the pre-67 ones had the driver’s set on the right and the doors on the left. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-mixes-conjecture-with-fact/394326/2 "2007-03-02T19:11:55Z")
[QUOTE=nasorenga] This is incorrect. Swedes drove cars with the drivers seat on the left even before the switch. [/QUOTE] Yup. I pointed this out once, long ago. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-mixes-conjecture-with-fact/394326/3 "2007-03-02T21:43:16Z")
I remember _Life_ Magazine’s coverage of the Swedish changeover. They scheduled it for midnight, but all the drivers were out on the road, anyway. _Life_ got some great helicopter shots of the chaos. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-mixes-conjecture-with-fact/394326/4 "2007-03-02T22:59:31Z")
[QUOTE=John W. Kennedy] They scheduled it for midnight [/QUOTE] No, it was at five in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-mixes-conjecture-with-fact/394326/5 "2007-03-02T23:41:24Z")
> [@](#): > > At 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, a general ban on driving goes into effect in Stockholm proper, lasting 29 hours until 3 p.m. Sunday. > At 1 am, Sept.3 practically a complete motor curfew will fall over all Sweden for five hours. The only exceptions will be taxis, buses, cars leaving the country, road maintenance trucks and specially licensed vehicles. They, too, will come to halt at 4:50 am for 10 minutes and then start driving on the right at 5 am. > At 6 am, traffic generally will start moving on the right. > Speed will be limited to 24 miles per hour in built-up areas for four weeks, possibly longer. Rural speed limits will be 36 miles at first, then 42, although superhightways will have 54 mph.\ > Sunday traditionally is the biggest day of the week for outdoor sports events, but all matches have banned Sept. 3. From an article at the time.