Four-wheel drive can be a security. Especially if you drive a lot in the snow and on unplowed country roads. But car buyers closer to the big city also like to drive on all four wheels.
This is shown by statistics from Vroom, which the car broker Kvdbil analyzed. The figures show that only Åre is ahead of Danderyd in terms of all-wheel drive share.
In the municipality of Åre the proportion is 61 percent and in Danderyd it is 56 percent. This means that the municipality, which has the country’s middle income, competes with more northern municipalities such as Härjedalen, Krokom and Jokkmokk.
Facts.Communities with the highest proportion of four-wheel drive cars
1. Åre: 61 percent
2. Danderyd: 56 percent
3. Härjedalen: 55 percent
4. Crocom: 53 percent
5. Jokkmokk: 53 percent
6. Mountain: 53 percent
7. Gällivare: 52 percent
8. Kiruna: 52 percent
9. Storuman: 50 percent
10. Bracke: 49 percent
Source: Vroom and Kvdbil
Other municipalities near Stockholm with a high proportion of four-wheel drive are Solna and Lidingö, where 47 and 40 percent of cars have four-wheel drive, respectively. A total of 28 percent of cars in Sweden have all-wheel drive.
– Four-wheel drive has become something completely different than a purely necessary purchase. In communities near large cities, it is primarily about vehicle type, comfort and feeling of safety and not about accessibility in deep snow, says Daniel Odsberg, sales manager at Kvdbil, in a press release.
In his opinion, four-wheel drive is the most important feature for potential car buyers.
Worth remembering For drivers driving on slippery surfaces, all-wheel drive means there is less chance of getting stuck. At the same time, figures from the insurance company Folksam show that the risk of accidents on roads with ice or snow actually increases.
One reason for this is that all-wheel drive can mask slippery road conditions. The driver can be led to believe that the grip is better than it is and therefore underestimate the braking distance.
Drivers who do not receive a clear signal about the slippery conditions also find it more difficult to adapt their speed to the surface.
– Therefore, when it is time to brake, the entry speed is often higher and the braking distance is not shorter with four-wheel drive, writes Folksam, whose studies have shown a 20-30 percent higher risk of accidents and that four-wheel drive cars collide at up to 10 percent higher speeds than two-wheel drive cars.
Facts.County with the highest proportion of four-wheel drive cars
1. Jämtland: 51 percent
2. Norrbotten: 45 percent
3. Västernorrland: 42 percent
4. Västerbotten: 41 percent
5. Stockholm: 36 percent
6. Gävleborg: 34 percent
7. Dalarna: 33 percent
8. Värmland: 28 percent
9. Uppsala: 28 percent
10. Örebro: 26 percent
Source: Vroom and Kvdbil
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