Trafikmagasinet (''The Traffic magazine'') was a Swedish TV-show about
traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffi ...
and
motoring
Motoring may refer to:
* ''Motoring'' (film), a 1927 British comedy film
* Motoring (TV series), a Canadian automotive television program (1988 to present)
* 310 Motoring, an automotive customization garage based in Los Angeles, California
* Mot ...
, broadcast on the Swedish
public service
A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...
network
SVT from 1978 to 2003. Aside from reviewing new cars (which were graded by awarding "steering wheels"), ''Trafikmagasinet'' featured news, educational content, and consumer reports. The show was created by
Carl Ingemar Perstad who also hosted the show until 2002. Christer Glenning co-hosted the show and was responsible for car testing until his death in 1998.
History
''Trafikmagasinet'' launched on March 15, 1978. The show was an immediate success and its
ratings were higher than many popular entertainment shows. Internationally, the show was a pioneer. The type of road tests first introduced in ''Trafikmagasinet'' became very popular and used by motor journalists in several countries.
Beside the TV-audience, journalists and car industry looked upon ''Trafikmagasinet'' with high confidence. In 1987 Carl-Ingemar Perstad received an award from the Swedish Royal Automobile Club for his contribution to enhance and improve the level of Swedish road and traffic safety.
An important event in the show's history was when a
Škoda
Škoda means ''pity'' in the Czech and Slovak languages. It may also refer to:
Czech brands and enterprises
* Škoda Auto, automobile and previously bicycle manufacturer in Mladá Boleslav
** Škoda Motorsport, the division of Škoda Auto respons ...
failed miserably in a road test, flipping over while turning in 30 km/h. History repeated itself in 1997, when ''Trafikmagasinet'' together with the car magazine
Teknikens Värld
''Teknikens värld'' ( en, World of Technology) is a leading motor magazine published in Stockholm, Sweden.
History and profile
''Teknikens Värld'' was founded in 1948. The magazine is owned by Bonnier Group. Its publisher is Bonnier Tidskrifte ...
overturned the new
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is a subcompact car produced by the German automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz as the brand's entry-level vehicle. The first generation (internally coded W168) was introduced in 1997, the second generation (W169) in ...
during testing.
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...
initially claimed that the car had been manipulated and threatened to sue the journalists, but finally had to admit that the car was unsafe during sharp turns at high speed. The A-Class was re-released with
Electronic Stability Control, and the episode gave some fame to the expression
moose test
The evasive manoeuvre test ( Swedish: ''Undanmanöverprov''; colloquial: moose test or elk test; Swedish: ''Älgtest'', German: ''Elchtest'') is performed to determine how well a certain vehicle evades a suddenly appearing obstacle. This test ha ...
- this due to Mercedes-Benz' initial attempt to ridicule the failed test and claim that it was only of interest to Swedes.
During the 1990s and onward new co-hosts joined ''Trafikmagasinet''. Sofia Lindahl was followed by Bodil Karlsson and later Veronica Marklund. When Christer Glenning died in 1998, Staffan Borglund replaced him as car tester.
During its last year, ''Trafikmagasinet'' left the studio-based concept. The show was one of many that were axed when SVT were forced to make major budget-cuts in 2003.
"Trafikmagasinet" läggs ned efter 25 år
/ref>
References
{{reflist
External links
SVT official site
Sveriges Television original programming
Automotive television series