1NORWAY
Norway recorded 108 road fatalities in 2019, the same number as in 2018. With a mortality
rate of 2 per 100 000 persons, Norway is the best performing country amongst IRTAD
members for this indicator. The National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-21 lists 13 priority
areas and 136 action measures designed to reduce the number of road crash fatalities andserious injuries to fewer than 500 by 2024. On the way towards Vision Zero, the long-termtarget is to reach fewer than 350 by 2030. This target is achievable if planned measures
are implemented to the greatest possible extent.

Impact of Covid-19
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Norway introduced lockdown measures on 12 March
2020, which affected the movement of people and goods on the road and in turn the
exposure to road crashes.
The number of road deaths decreased year-on-year 33% from nine to six deaths in April
2020, compared with the average for 2017-19. Traffic volume decreased by 25% year-onyear in April 2020 .
Table 1. Road fatalities by month
Average 2017-19

2020% change

January

6

8

33.3

February

5

9

80.0

March

5

8

60.0

April

9

6

-33.3

May

10

7

-30.0

June

11

9

-18.2

July

9

10

11.1

August990September

11

2

-81.8

October

10

9

-10.0

November

11

7

-36.4

December

11

10

-9.1

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Table 2. Road motor vehicle traffic by month (vehicle-kilometres), 2019-20% change
2019-20
January

1.8

February

2.9

March

-22.2

April

-24.6

May

-12.5

June

-2.0

July

-2.0

August-3.2

TrendsNorway registered the same numberof road deaths as in 2018.
Accordingtothelatestdata, 108 persons lost their lives in traffic 
crashes in Norway in 2019, the same number as in 2018. A record low of 
106 road deaths was reported in 
2017, a 21.5% decline on the
135 road fatalities recorded in 2016. The longer-term trend for roaddeaths in Norway has been adecreasing number of fatalities.
Between 2000 and 2019, the numberof annual road fatalities fell by 68%.

Country Profile
Population in 2019: 5.3 million
GDP per capita in 2019: USD 75 698
Cost of road crashes: 0.5% of GDP (2016)
Road network in 2019: 94 902 kilometres
Registered motor vehicles in 2019: 4.1 million(cars 68%; goods vehicles 14%; motorcycles 7%)
Volume of traffic: +42% between 2000 and 2019
Speed limits: 50 km/h on urban roads (30 km/h
on residential streets); 80 km/h on rural roads;
100-110 km/h on motorways
Limits on Blood Alcohol Content (BAC): 0.2 g/l

The number of traffic deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in Norway fell by 73% between
2000 and 2019. In 2019, 2.0 traffic deaths per 100 000 inhabitants were recorded,compared to 7.6 in 2000. Norway has the lowest mortality rate among IRTAD countries.
By way of comparison, the average in the European Union was 5.1 deaths per
100 000 inhabitants in 2019.
Measured as traffic deaths per billion vehicle-kilometres (vkm) driven, the road safety
performance of Norway has shown strong progress in the longer term. In 2019, this metricstood at 2.3, 78% lower than in 2000.
Norway recorded 0.3 road fatalities per 10 000 registered vehicles in 2019. This
represents a decrease of 78% compared to the year 2000, when the rate of deaths toregistered vehicles stood at 1.2.

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Figure 1. Road safety, vehicle stock, traffic and GDP trends, 2000-19
Index 2000 = 100

The picture for fatalities by road user groups shows that passenger car occupants
continue to be the group the most affected by road crashes. In 2019, passenger car
occupants accounted for the largest share of road deaths, with 53% of the total. They were
followed by motorcyclists (15%), pedestrians (12%) and cyclists (6%).
The long-term trend shows that traffic in Norway has become safer for all road user groups.
Car passenger occupants and pedestrians saw reductions of more than 72% each between
2000 and 2019. The user group that has benefited least are cyclists, who saw a 53%
reduction in fatalities since 2000. More recently, starting in 2010, the number of fatalities
decreased for all users, save for cyclists who saw a slight increase.
Figure 2. Road fatalities by road user group as percentage of total, 20194

Road deaths by age group in 2019 showed continuity compared to 2018, and all age
groups showed only marginal changes in the number of road fatalities.
Looking at the longer-term trend, the number of road deaths decreased for all age groups
from 2010 to 2019. The strongest reduction in fatalities over this period occurred among
young people, with all age groups under 25 counting reductions of 73% or greater. In
2019, there were no fatalities for children younger than 14. Elderly people above 75 now
have a higher mortality rate in traffic than young people. The elderly suffer road fatalities
at a rate of 5.3 per 100 000 persons.
Figure 3. Road fatality rates by age group, 2010-19
Deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in a given age group

Figure 4. Evolution of road deaths by user category and age group, 2010-19

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Fatality data are essential for understanding road safety issues but represent only part ofthe picture. Information on serious injuries from crashes is also critically important.
However, injury data are much more difficult to obtain, validate and compare. According
to police-registered crashes, 665 individuals were seriously injured in 2017, up from 656
in 2016. In 2019, the figure dropped by 100 to 565 persons severely injured.
As part of the research programme Better Safety in Traffic (BEST) of the Norwegian Public
Roads Administration (NPRA), a study on bicycle crashes and a study on pedestrian crashes
were conducted by the emergency unit at Oslo University Hospital in 2014 and 2016. In
2019, NPRA pursued the investigation using the data on bicycle crashes from the Oslo
University Hospital. The definition for bicycles used here includes accidents with electricalscooters (e-scooters). Between May and July 2019, four to five persons were injured every
day on e-scooters according to the study’s preliminary findings.

Economic costs of road crashes
Traffic crashes are a significant cost for Norwegian society, estimated in 2016 at around
EUR 1.65 billion (excluding property damage costs), representing 0.5% of GDP. Costs arecalculated on a willingness-to-pay approach.

Behaviour
The behaviour of road users is an important determinant of a country’s road safety
performance. In 2019, excessive and inappropriate speed was one of the main causesof fatal road crashes and was attributed as a contributing factor in 40% of fatal crashes.
One recent report from BEST on detailed crash investigations of 577 speed-related fatal
accidents involving passenger cars between 2005 and 2015 concluded that typicalcharacteristics of crashes with excessive speed were: single vehicle crashes, weekend andnight-time crashes, older cars, side impacts, rooves being crushed, young male drivers
and low rates of seat belt use. In a large proportion of crashes, road characteristics may
have contributed to the driver misjudging safe speed.
In 2019, 62.1% of all vehicles were travelling within the speed limit. The percentage ofvehicles not exceeding the speed limit has increased by 16.5% since 2006. This
improvement is explained by a series of different factors. The traffic police have steppedup their patrol activities and are paying special attention to large speed violations. The
NPRA has, in parallel, launched several speed awareness campaigns to educate and change
attitudes and behaviour of road users, particularly young male drivers. In addition, there
are higher traffic volumes and an increased share of older drivers. It is thought that this inpart explains the sustained decrease in road casualties in recent years.

6The table below summarises the main speed limits in Norway.
Table 3. Passenger car speed limits by road type, 2020
General speed limit

Comments

Urban roads

50 km/hResidential streets often limited to 30 km/h

Rural roads

80 km/hMotorways

100 km/h or 110 km/h

The legal maximum BAC is 0.2 g/l. The number of drivers impaired due to alcohol seems
to be fairly stable. In 2019, 8% of fatal crashes were due to the use of alcohol, whereas
12% were due to drugs or the combination of alcohol and drugs. After high numbers in
2018, the share of fatal crashes due to impaired driving in 2019 was now back to previous
levels, around the low twenties.
In Norway, the law stipulates that mobile phones must be correctly attached to the
instrument panel in the vehicle, as close as possible to the driver. Hands-free devices canbe used. In 2019, 50 fatal crashes listed some kind of distraction as a contributing factor
and five of the fatal crashes were due to the use of mobile phones.
In-depth studies show that fatigue and sleepiness were the cause of 26% of all fatal
crashes in Norway in 2019. Some of these crashes are also associated with illness or the
consumption of alcohol or drugs.
Seat belt use has been compulsory in the front seats of light vehicles since 1975 and inrear seats since 1985. Child restraints are compulsory for children under 135 cm in height.
For children over 135 cm a child restraint should be used if available. In Norway, it isrecommended that children under the age of four should be seated facing backward.
The use of seat belts by drivers of light vehicles increased sharply between 2006 and 2013as a result of enforcement and awareness campaigns. The seat belt wearing rate among
drivers is now stable at around 97%. There is no monitoring of seat belt use in rear seats,
but it is estimated to be 7-8 percentage points lower. For children aged 1-3, the use of
dedicated rear facing child restraints increased from 20% in 2010 to 49% in 2015, with afurther increase to 64% in 2018. The use of seat belts by drivers of heavy vehicles(excluding bus drivers) increased from 76% in 2014 to 87% in 2019.
An analysis of crashes in 2019 estimates that 37% of car occupants killed were not wearing
a seat belt or did not wear the belts properly.

7Table 4. Seat belt wearing rates, 2000-19
Percentages
2000

2013

2019

Driver (light vehicles)

..

95

98

Passenger

88

94

96

Urban roads (driver)

78

96

97

Rural roads (driver)

92

97

98

Motorways (driver)

91

96

98

84

94

97

Front seats

Rear seats
GeneralAll riders of motorised two-wheelers are required to wear helmets. The helmet-wearing
rate is close to 100%.
There is no mandatory helmet-use law for cyclists. Helmet use by cyclists over the age of
12 in 2018 was 68%. In 2018, two out of the seven cyclists killed on the roads were notwearing a helmet.

Road safety management and strategies
There are several factors of influence on Norway’s road safety performance as
captured by the above indicators. In 2014, the Norwegian Institute of Transport Research
investigated possible explanations for the decline in number of traffic fatalities and serious
injuries between 2000 and 2012 (Hoye et al., 2014). The decline observed during this twoyear time frame was larger than in any other period since 1970. The study indicated thatthe two most important contributing factors were increasing market penetration of various
safety features on cars and the tendency, seen most clearly after 2006, for a decrease in
the mean speed of traffic. Other factors that have contributed include: a change in the age
distribution of riders of large motorcycles (mean age has increased), a decline in thenumber of young drivers involved in crashes, a decline in the number of crashes involving
young moped riders, the construction of motorways and other roads with median barriers
and the increased use of speed cameras.
More recently, the continued decrease in mean speed since 2012 has contributed to thesustained decline in the number of road deaths.
Responsibility for the organisation of road safety in Norway lies with the NPRA. In
addition to the NPRA, the police, public health and education authorities and leading
non-governmental organisations are the main national stakeholders for road safety. At
regional and local levels, counties and municipalities play an important role. Norwegianroad safety policy relies on an evidence-based, broad and collaborative approach. It also
has a common long-term strategy, with co-ordination among all stakeholders.

8Norway’s Parliament adopted Vision Zero in 2001, involving all modes of transport. The
main focus is to reduce crashes that can lead to fatalities and serious injuries. It also seeks
to mitigate the most severe consequences when crashes do happen. The highest priority
is given to the reduction of head-on crashes, single-vehicle crashes and collisions withcyclists and pedestrians. Special attention is also paid to high-risk road users, such as
young drivers, elderly road users and motorcyclists.
The National Transport Plan 2018-29 was presented to the public and submitted toparliament in 2017. It includes a new target of no more than 350 persons killed or seriously
injured on the roads by 2030. The National Plan of Action for Road Safety 2018-21 contains
13 priority areas and features 136 follow-up measures. Behind these measures, there area wide range of participants, including the NPRA, traffic police, the Norwegian Directorate
of Health, the Norwegian Directorate of Education and Training, county administrations,seven large city municipalities and the Norwegian Council for Road Safety. Other parties,
including the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority, the Norwegian Correctional Service
and a diverse group of other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have committed to
implementing measures. The plan includes interim targets of no more than 500 deaths orserious injuries on the roads by 2024. The table below lists the priority areas and associatedindicator targets.
Table 5. National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-21
Priority Area
Speed

Intoxication

Seat belts/securing ofchildren in the car

Indicator

Current status

Indicator target

62.1% (2019)70.0% (2022)

Percentage of drivers with a blood
alcohol content of 0.02% or above

0.2% (2016/2017)0.1% (2026)

Percentage of drivers under the
influence of drugs and over thethreshold for criminal punishment

0.6% (2016/2017)

0.4% (2026)

Percentage of drivers and frontseat passengers wearing seat belts
in private cars

97.4% (2019)

98.0% (2022)

Percentage of children aged 1-3
secured in rear-facing car seats

64.0% (2019)75.0% (2022)

Percentage of drivers of heavy
vehicles wearing seat belts

86.5% (2019)95.0% (2022)

Percentage of vehicles notexceeding the speed limit

Children

Number of children (0-14) killed on
the roads

0 (2019)0 (at least one per year for
2018-2021)

Young people and younger
drivers

Risk of being killed or seriously
injured for car drivers aged 18-19,
per kilometre driven-10.0% (2019)-30.0%1

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Table 5. National Road Safety Action Plan 2018-21 (cont.)
Priority Area

Current status

Indicator target

Risk of being killed or seriously
injured for car drivers aged 75+,
per kilometre driven-14% (2019)-30%1

Risk of being killed or seriously
injured in a traffic accident forpedestrians aged 75+, perkilometre walked-35% (2019)-30%1

84.3 km national roads (2018-19)

165 km national roads (2018-21)

117 km county roads (2018-19)

230 km county roads (2018-21)

Percentage of cyclists wearing
bicycle helmets

65.9% (2019)70% (2022)

Percentage of pedestrians usingreflectors on lighted roads in thedark

41% (2019)50% (2022)

Motorcycles and mopeds

Risk of being killed or seriously
injured for motorcycle and moped
riders, per kilometre driven-14% (2019)-30%1

Transportation involving
heavy vehicles

Percentage of heavy vehicles witha maximum authorised mass ofover 7 500 kg that pass theperiodic roadworthiness test
without serious remarks

24.3% (2019)30% (2022)

Percentage of national roads withspeed limits of 70+ km/h withmedian barriers

51.5% as of 1 Jan 2020

54.1% as of 1 Jan 2022

Kilometres of national roads withspeed limits of 70+ km/h that havebeen assessed as meeting theminimum standards set out in the
NTP to prevent serious run-off-theroad accidents

213 km (2018-19)

1 500 km (2018-23)2

Percentage of cars withautonomous emergency braking(AEB)

26.3% (2019)-3

Percentage of cars with lane
departure warning

30.1% (2019)-3

Percentage of cars withautonomous emergency braking toprevent collisions with pedestrians
and cyclists (pedestrian AEB)

24.2% (2019)-3

Number of municipalities approved
as Road Safe municipalities

1074 as of 4 April 2020

125 as of 1 Jan 2022

Older road users and road
users with disabilities

Indicator

Kilometres of national roads andcounty roads adapted forpedestrians and cyclists
Pedestrians and cyclists

Head-on collisions and runoff-the-road accidents

Vehicle technology

Road safety work in county
administrations andmunicipalities

1.
2.

3.
4.

Reduction for the period 2018-21 compared to the period 2013-16.
There is no estimate of how much will be improved in the four-year period 2018-21. For this reason, Norway
uses the figures for the six-year period 2018-23, taken from the NPRA’s action programme. A total of
5 700 km is in need of improvement work.
The targets for 2022 are no longer relevant.
Not directly comparable due to reforms resulting in a reduction of the number of municipalities(107 municipalities and one district).

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Through research and development, Norway has gained the knowledge to establish
effective measures to improve road safety. The research programme BEST has been
conducted in order to update the knowledge needed to search for appropriate safety
improvement measures, as well as establishing whether existing measures should continue
to be supported. The final project evaluated the potential for reducing the number of fatallyor seriously injured road users. By adopting 33 road safety measures with documented
effect, the results showed that the targeted reduction is possible by 2030, as long as thesemeasures are implemented to the greatest possible extent.
Figure 5. Trends in road fatalities and serious injuries towards national target,
2006-30

Measures
The Plan of Action 2018-21: This plan gives an overall description of the key road safetymeasures to be implemented during this period. It applies to the continuation of ongoingroad safety measures and the implementation of new measures. A total of 13 different
priority areas and 136 follow-up measures have been defined. The complete list ofmeasures can be found at:www.vegvesen.no/_attachment/2322975/binary/1261865?fast_title=National+Plan+of+
Action+for+Road+Safety+2018-2021+%28short+version%29.pdf.
The 13 priority areas, which will be of particular focus during the time frame covered by
the plan, are: speed; intoxication; seat belts in cars and buses and securing children;
children (0-14); youth and younger drivers; older road users and road users withdisabilities; pedestrians and cyclists; motorcycles and mopeds; transportation involving
heavy vehicles; head-on collisions and run-off-the-road accidents; effective data exchange
between vehicles and infrastructure, and for automated vehicles; vehicle technology; androad safety work in county administrations and municipalities.

11Definition, methodology, data collection
A road fatality is defined as any person who dies immediately or within 30 days of a crash
as a result of an injury sustained in that crash.
A seriously injured person is any individual suffering life threatening injuries, injuries thatlead to lasting disability or other major injuries that are not life threatening. By contrast,
a slightly injured person is defined as any person with minor fractures and wounds not
requiring a hospital stay.
Currently, the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale of three or more (MAIS3+) is not used
to classify serious injuries in Norway, but this will hopefully be the case in the future whensuch injury data is provided by hospitals.
Crash data are collected by the police and consolidated at the national level by Statistics
Norway and the Public Roads Administration.
Less severe crashes and injuries are often not reported to the police and may therefore beunder-represented in the figures. In particular, this concerns light injuries and single
bicycle crashes. At the moment, injury data is collected by the police. In 2014 and 2016,
however, the Oslo University Hospital collected data for bicycle accidents and accidents
with pedestrians.

Resources
Recent research
Amundsen, A.H. (2018), Children and youth in traffic. Accident, traffic education, andactive mobility, TØI Report 1618/2018, www.toi.no/publications/children-and-youth-intraffic-accidents-traffic-education-and-active-mobility-article34783-29.html.
Fyhri, A. and O.J. Johansson (2018), Mini scenario: increased use of e-bikes, TØI
Report 1625/2018,www.toi.no/getfile.php/1347800/Publikasjoner/T%C3%98I%20rapporter/2018/16252018/1625-2018-sum.pdf.
Nævestad, T.-O. et al. (2018), Mini scenario: Safety ladder, TØI Report 1620/2018,www.toi.no/getfile.php/1347337/Publikasjoner/T%C3%98I%20rapporter/2018/16202018/1620-2018_Summary.pdf.
Sagberg, F. and O.J. Johansson (2018), Evaluation of training for moped and lightmotorcycle riders. Pre-intervention study, TØI Report 1616/2018,www.toi.no/getfile.php/1347283/Publikasjoner/T%C3%98I%20rapporter/2018/16162018/1616-2018-sum.pdf.

12Websites
COWI: www.cowi.no/.
International Research Institute: www.iris.no/home.
Norwegian Institute of Public Health: www.fhi.no/.
Public Road Administration: www.vegvesen.no/en/Home.
SINTEF: www.sintef.no/.
TØI - Research Institute for Transport Economics: www.toi.no/.

References
Hoye, A., T. Bjornskau and R. Elvik (2014), What can explain the decline in the number oftraffic fatalities and serious injuries in Norway from 2000 to 2012?, TØI Report 1299/2014,
www.toi.no/getfile.php/1335365/Publikasjoner/T%C3%98I%20rapporter/2014/12992014/1299-2014-sum.pdf.

13

Road safety and traffic data

14