Many road users seem to believe that the larger vehicle always has priority. One Swedish cyclist spent 10 minutes making the point that this was not the case by standing in the road in front of a truck, refusing to move.
The incident took place in Vättersnäs which lies between the towns of Jönköping and Huskvarna last week. It went viral after a video filmed by bus driver witness David Magui was shared online.
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The road narrows just before a bus stop to force drivers to slow down and reduce the risk of accidents. The cyclist and the truck found themselves approaching each other head on and neither gave way, resulting in the stand-off. The truck driver said that he couldn’t reverse. The cyclist said he had right of way and wouldn’t budge.
The incident lasted over 10 minutes and the queue of traffic ended up being 30-40 vehicles long. The situation only ended when a student on his way to an exam ran out of patience and forcibly moved the bike to the side of the road.
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Dagens Nyheter reports that despite technically being in the right, the cyclist may face a fine of 500SEK(£40) for blocking traffic.
Local traffic policeman, Rolf Högberg, said: “It is possible that the lorry driver was in the wrong, but it is not the cyclist who is the prosecutor in the matter, it's the police. You don't just reverse an 80ft lorry. I suppose it was a matter of principle for the cyclist. Considering that he stopped traffic for quite some time, he may end up with a fine.”