Maria Smedstad: EPA tractor

“Is that a child driving a car?!” my husband incredulously enquired during a visit to Sweden. “It’s not a car,” I reassured him. “That’s an EPA tractor. Look at the sticker.” The vehicle in question had a large, orange triangle stuck to its rear, signifying that it was indeed a so-called EPA, or a tractor.

It was also crawling ahead of us at a very, very slow pace, adding to my husband’s astonishment. “It’s perfectly normal,” I explained. “An EPA has been modified, so it will only go up to a certain speed. That’s why 15-year-olds are allowed to drive them.” “You get a driving license when you’re 15?!” my husband asked. “No!” I laughed. “You only need a moped license.”

“A moped license!” my husband raged. “But that’s not a moped!” Growing defensive, I explained how the humble EPA tractors are ESSENTIAL for teenagers living in rural areas. How else would they get about? Poor teenagers!

My husband pointed out that we were, in fact, not in a rural area; there were bus stops every 500 metres and furthermore, that the poor teenager’s ‘humble tractor’ of choice was a recent i-series BMW. We left it at that.

Back in the UK, my husband was pleased to get back to driving on the left (or the ‘right’) side of the road. Joining the motorway, our car was almost immediately undertaken by a rusty taxi with a questionable numberplate, the driver pushing 100 both in age and speed and eating what looked like a whole fish, head first. This, however, caused no reaction from my husband. “Perfectly normal,” he shrugged. “It’s the M25.”

I guess in conclusion it could be said that – regardless of country – where driving is concerned, there is always room for improvement.