Norway sets formal target of zero road deaths by 2050
Norway, the country with Europe’s safest roads, has set out its plans for cutting road deaths in half by 2030, at the same time as setting a formal target of zero deaths by 2050 for the first time. This goes a step beyond its existing ‘Vision Zero’ strategic approach, first adopted in 2001.
The Norwegian government’s latest four-year road safety strategy, covering the period 2022-2025 includes 179 specific measures, each assigned to a specific body or organisation, and categorised according to priority areas such as speed, and drink-driving.
According to Norwegian crash analysis, the strategy document says speed was a contributing factor in 34% of all fatal crashes between 2011 and 2020. Follow-up measures include using regional speed data to target enforcement activities, and a systematic survey of the national road network to find routes where the road design encourages an unsafe speed.
On drink-driving, Norway is going to look at extending the requirement for buses to be fitted with alcohol interlock devices, to taxis – among other measures.
Other focus areas include children and young drivers as well as distraction while driving.
The road safety strategy 2022-25 can be downloaded in English from: