Road Transport Escorts
The Swedish Police Authority issues certifications for road transport escorts to escort long, wide and heavy road transports that take place under special conditions pursuant to an exemption decision from the Swedish Transport Administration.
If your transport is an abnormal road transport, it will need to be escorted; you can find contact details for all certified road transport escorts in the list maintained by the Swedish Police.
List of certified road transport escorts (in Swedish)
Road Transport Escorts – the task, responsibility, and authority
The Police decide on the issuance of certifications to operate as a road transport escort, which are usually valid for a period of five years. On the basis of their certification, road transport escorts provide directions to traffic in connection with escorts of long, wide and/or heavy road transport. The certification is applicable only for escorts for abnormal road transports that occur pursuant to a Decision from the Swedish Transport Administration to allow an exemption from the applicable traffic regulations regarding height, weight and width.
In no way does the task or designation involve any employment relationship with the Swedish Police. An individual employed as a police officer may not be certified as a road transport escort.
Road transport escorts are subject to the direction of the Police
Road transport escorts are subject to the direction of the Police Region where they are working for the assignment as a road escort and are fully obligated to obey the instructions given by the Police.
Prior to the performance of each escort assignment, the road transport escort must provide information about the transport, in accordance with Section 8 of the Swedish Act on the Certification of Road Transport Escorts. The information is to be provided in a route plan of the intended roads and bridges that will be used and impacted by the escort task. The route plan must be emailed to the Police Authority, to the relevant traffic unit. Route Plan, in Swedish. (pdf, 129 kB)
The road transport escort must also otherwise inform the Swedish Police Authority of any circumstances relating to their activities which should be brought to the attention of the Police. This obligation is governed by Section 8 of the last paragraph.
Swedish Regulation (2004:1169) on the Certification of Road Transport Escorts (in Swedish)
Road transport escorts may use the police road traffic signs when in traffic
A police officer will use signs to provide instructions for traffic under the Swedish Road Signs Ordinance. The signs and indicators may also be used by the certified road transport escort.
The road users are obligated to follow instructions
As a road driver, you are obligated to follow the instructions given by the police for traffic, according to Chapter 2, Section 3 of the Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276). The instructions given by a police officer take precedence over the traffic rules and the instructions referred to in Section 2.
The same applies when instructions are given by a road transport escort, a vehicle inspector, a motoring sobriety inspector or by any other person certified by a public authority to monitor traffic and give directions.
Swedish Road Traffic Ordinance (1998:1276), on the Riksdag website (in Swedish)
Contact for questions about certification as a road transport escort
The task and responsibility of the Police is to check that road transport escorts conduct their assignments in accordance with the applicable legislation, regulations, rules and other relevant provisions of law.
For questions concerning the certified road transport escort, you can send an e-mail to Birgitta Segerström or Sofi Hedlund at the Legal Division, Region Mitt.
Training as a road transport escort
To become a road transport escort, you must
- complete the prescribed training for road transport escorts with an approved result
- be suitable for the assignment in terms of being law-abiding
- have a Category C driving licence.
Training companies with authorisation from the Swedish Transport Agency conduct the prescribed training for road transport escorts. More information about training requirements can be found on the Swedish Transport Agency’s and the Swedish Transport Administration’s website.
