One cartoon that highlights how much public space we sacrifice for cars

When it comes to life, the people of Sweden seem to have things pretty well sussed out.

Its attitudes to education, healthcare, technology, and social justice make it one of the most forward-thinking nations on earth.

Even in the realm of road safety (not exactly the sexiest of public policy areas), Sweden is ahead of the rest.

As well as being the first country to enforce seatbelt legislation and introduce mandatory front headlights, the Swedish government announced Vision Zero in the 1990s - a commitment to ensure there are no traffic-related deaths on its roads.

To accompany this focus on safety, and its general relationship with cars, the government's transport department commissioned this illustration, by Karl Jilg, to demonstrate how much public space we cede to cars:

As Vox notes, "By depicting roads as chasms and crosswalks as rickety planks spanning them, [Jilg] shows just how lopsided the the proportions of a normal urban street corner really are."