Dimly separates us from the neighboring countries
There have been fewer and fewer fatal accidents on Norwegian roads over the years, but for many years there has been concern.
Almost two weeks into August, over 80 have lost their lives in traffic in this country, with a long way to go in the year.
After record low death tolls during the corona years 2020 and 2021, Trygg Trafikk believes that in 2022 we are well on our way to passing the figures from the previous “normal year” in 2019.
Number of fatalities in road accidents in Norway:
- 2018: 108
- 2019: 108
- 2020: 93
- 2021: 80
Source: Trygg Trafikk
– We have such a strong increase compared to last year that it shakes us all a little, says head of department Bård Morten Johansen in Trygg Trafikk to TV 2.
In our Scandinavian neighboring countries, however, they do not see the same trend.
Positive development in Sweden
Traffic safety director Maria Krafft at the Swedish Trafikverket says that, in contrast to Norway, they have measured a positive development along the roads so far this year, compared to 2019.
In 2019, 89 people died in traffic in the first five months of the year. Correspondingly high in 2022 is 68 people.
Also at “söta bror”, the pandemic years stand out in the statistics with record low death tolls.
Well, however, road users are back on the road, but the death toll remains below the figures for 2019 for the time being.
– We have not had the same tendency as in Norway. On the other hand, we had a bad year in 2018, so it is not unusual for certain years to stand out, says Krafft to TV 2.
– Sits nicely under 2019
Not even in Denmark are they familiar with the trend on Norwegian roads.
– It looks like the death toll will be lower this year even in 2019. We are well below 2019 so far this year, says subject coordinator Winnie Hansen in the Road Directorate to TV 2.
In the first half of the year in 2022, 56 people lost their lives on Danish roads. In 2019, the corresponding high was 80.
Hansen has no good explanation as to why they do not see the same increase as Norway, but believes the speed level is one of the reasons why Danish predecessors do not approach the death tolls from 2019.
The number of injuries has not decreased significantly.
– We have indications that the speed level in Denmark is falling. In terms of traffic, we are at the same level as 2019, but definitely not in terms of the death toll, she says.
The accidents that stand out
Bård Morten Johansen in Trygg Trafikk believes that the increase we have set in Norway has been very special, and says it is difficult to point out why we are different from our neighbours.
– We must properly go through everything that has happened and see if it is something separate that is causing it, says Johansen.
Johansen says that there are no significant changes in the works or the vehicles that should indicate an increased number of accidents.
– What stands out are skidding and collision accidents. When there are many of them, you can say that they are accidents which often have a connection with inattention, says Johansen.
Trygg Trafikk has now asked the Swedish Road Administration to speed up its annual in-depth analysis of fatal accidents, in order to gain better clarity on what is behind it.