Maria Sandberg is known for her extreme sports and freeriding with snowmobiles. In 2013, she appeared in the video series "RuffRiders" and has since been a visible voice in the community.
– Many people may think I'm fearless and just throw myself into things. But the truth is that I analyze and calculate all the time. The risk is deliberate, never accidental.
That's exactly why she does things differently behind the wheel than she does in the mountains.
– I don't want to drive fast on the road. I want to drive safely.
Maria drives a lot. Long distances, changing roads, darkness and poor visibility are part of everyday life. And when the roads are slippery and visibility is poor, there is no room for chance.
– I can't drive without it. I have to know what awaits me around the bend. Whether it's a deer, a flooded river, rocks in the road or a stationary car.
The alert gives her the extra vigilance she knows is crucial.
– I often think about how many situations I have avoided. Or the ones I could have ended up in, if it hadn't beeped right then.
As a snowmobile rider, Maria is well used to extreme stunts and high risks. Along the road, it's different.
She tells about a specific episode, a winter evening on the way to Bodø.
– It was dark, cold and rainy. I came around a hilltop, and there was an excavator and a lot of rocks in the road. Not a single warning triangle. If I hadn't gotten the warning from Safedrive, I would have driven right into it. One hundred percent.
Even with experience and heightened attention, she believes that reporting plays an important role.
– You know something could be coming, but when you get that little beep, you sharpen yourself a little more. It gives you that second you need.
For Maria, it's about people alerting each other. When one person reports an obstacle, an animal, or a dangerous situation, it can be enough to give others the time they need to react.
That's what makes the Safedrive community so valuable. The alerts make you smarter, and when thousands of drivers do the same, something bigger than just individual driving happens.
– Imagine if everyone had that. How damn safe it would have been.
