Norway
Several governments are updating rules on e-scooter use, as more evidence emerges of the particular risks faced by users of this novel mode of transport. Denmark introduced mandatory helmets from 1 January this year, following research that showed the risks of an e-scooter crash are seven times higher than for bicycles. Norway will also introduce mandatory helmets for children up to 15 years old later in the spring and introduce a drink-drive limit of 0.2 g/l Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) – the same as […]
Two European capitals, Helsinki and Oslo, achieved the milestone of zero pedestrian and cyclist deaths last year. Remarkably, Norway also reported zero child road deaths nationally for the first time, based on ages 0-15. ETSC’s most recent PIN report (based on 2018 data) showed that Norway had the lowest road mortality in Europe, at 20 deaths per million inhabitants. The country also recorded the largest drop in road deaths since 2010 – highlighting that an already high performing country can continue to make rapid […]
In 2010, the European Union renewed its commitment to improve road safety by setting a target of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020, compared to 2010 levels. This target followed an earlier target set in 2001 to halve the number of road deaths by 2010. A new target to halve road deaths by 2030 compared to 2020 levels was announced by the European Commission on 17 May 2018. 25,250 people lost their lives on the EU roads in 2017, representing a 2% reduction […]
A Norwegian billionaire that recorded a BAC level three times higher than the legal limit has been banned from driving and handed a 250,000 krone fine (EUR 25,000). But the fine could have been much higher as, under Norwegian law, fines are linked to monthly income and in some cases overall wealth. 22 year-old Katharina G. Andresen, one of the world’s youngest billionaires, reportedly could have been faced with a fine worth up to EUR 5 million. However the judge concluded that Ms Andresen’s […]
First REVIVE Round table focused on improving post-collision outcomes in Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Norway In the framework of the REVIVE Project, experts from the Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Rescue/Fire Service (RFS) and Road Transport Safety representatives from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and Norway met in Helsinki on the 12 April 2017. In the first regional REVIVE round table, they discuss the way forward for improving post-collision response and emergency care. The meeting gathered representatives from Ministries of the Interior, Health, and […]
The Norwegian Abstaining Motorists Association and the Norwegian Council for Road Safety, together with ETSC, held a national conference on tackling drink-driving as part of the SMART (Sober Mobility Across Road Transport) project. The State Secretary from the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Mr Tom Cato Karlsen, as well as the Ambassador of the EU Delegation to Norway, Ms Helen Campbell, were present and gave the welcoming speech. The debate addressed policy and practice on enforcement, penalties, rehabilitation, alcohol interlocks and other measures to discourage […]
A new study from the Institute of Transport Economics at the Norwegian Centre for Transport Research found that seasonal increases in cyclist numbers in Oslo led to a reduction in the risk of a conflict or near miss occurring. The researchers conclude that the data proves a ‘safety in numbers’ effect i.e. that risks of cycling are lowered as cyclist numbers increase. The team also compared the results for Norwegian road users to their Danish and Swedish counterparts and found that the effect can […]
Declines in the level of police enforcement of traffic offences are contributing to Europe’s failure to cut the numbers dying in road collisions, according to the European Transport Safety Council, authors of two new reports on road safety. More than 26,000 people died on EU roads last year, the first increase since 2001 according to the ETSC annual road safety performance index (PIN) report. Exceeding speed limits, drink or distracted driving and a failure to wear a seat belt are still the leading causes […]