Swedish police officers no longer need a manual transmission driving license. The change is due to new police cars with automatic transmissions and fewer people being able to drive with manual transmissions.
Swedish police officers no longer need a manual transmission driving license to do their jobs.
The development reflects a broader trend on the roads, where automatic transmissions are becoming increasingly common.
Far fewer new drivers choose a driving license specifically for cars with manual transmission, something that can still be acquired in Sweden.
And the Swedish police are now adapting to this development in their requirements for police officers.
Over 40 percent of new drivers in Sweden now take out a driving license that is only valid for cars with automatic transmission.
This has a noticeable effect on the recruitment base for the police.
That's why the police's National Operations Department (NOA) changed the admission requirement back in February. From now on, it will be sufficient for future police officers to have a driving license that allows driving with an automatic transmission.
This is what the trade magazine Polistidningen writes.
The new, relaxed requirement will also apply to admission to the police training program, which starts this fall. The change may remove a barrier for some applicants who otherwise meet the requirements.
The primary reason behind the decision is very practical. All new patrol cars of the Swedish police now come with automatic transmission as standard.
Therefore, it is assessed that there is no longer a need to be able to actually operate cars with three pedals.
The police cars of the future will drive automatically
Christer Dahlgren, who works as a choir teacher at the police's national choir training in the Bergslagen region, sees the decision as a natural development.
He points out that it is part of a larger social change.
– Fewer and fewer cars are sold with manual transmission, explains Christer Dahlgren to the trade magazine Polistidningen.
He also mentions that a new EU directive may have an impact on future driving license regulations that the police must comply with.
However, the new situation could potentially create a specific challenge in certain situations. Police officers who only have automatic transmission driving licenses will not be able to legally move a manual transmission car.
This could be relevant in connection with accidents, seizures or other traffic interventions where a vehicle needs to be moved briefly. However, the police leadership downplays the importance of this problem.
Anders Henckel, group leader for admission to police training, points out that there are significant safety reasons why officers should generally refrain from moving involved vehicles.
Safety weighs more heavily than the gearbox
He explains in more detail the risks of moving a car that has potentially been involved in an accident. This applies regardless of the gearbox type.
– We should not make a short movement of a car, partly because an airbag can be triggered, says Anders Henckel.
He adds that there is also a risk that the brakes may be defective after a traffic accident.
The decision to remove the requirement for a manual driver's license is thus not just about adaptation and convenience.
It is also based on current safety procedures and the general technological development in the automotive industry, where more and more car brands are retiring the manual transmission.
Here at home, the police – and thus the police academy – insist that Danish officers must be able to drive a car with a manual transmission.
You are therefore not suitable as a police officer if you are about to get a driver's license, and it is only for cars with automatic transmission.
