National Road Safety Week: Here's How Norway Achieved 78% Reduction In Road Fatality

Norway, the Land of the Midnight Sun, is a Scandinavian country lying in the continent of Europe. It is one of the top-performing countries globally with a high ranking in the World Happiness Index, Quality of Life Index etc. The crime rate in Norway is really low, making it one of the best places to live in. The country is also known for its low road fatality rate. Road safety reports have shown that Norway has the lowest road mortality rate than other IRTAD countries.

Road Fatality Statistics In Norway

Norway is one of the best-performing countries when it comes to road safety. Norway has a mortality rate of 2 persons per 100,000 population as reported in Road Safety Annual Report 2021. According to International Transport Forum data, there were 93 road fatality cases while it was 108 the previous year. This is the lowest recorded death in Norway to date. It also indicates a 78% reduction in road fatalities compared to the year 2000, which is a remarkable achievement from the government's side. Considering the longer-term trend in road fatalities, Norway showed a decline in the number of deaths with time.

Norway has excelled in devising and implementing strategies to bring down road accident-related deaths. It marks a remarkable achievement from the Norwegian government's side and the commitment put in by the people to abide by the rules and regulations.

How Did Norway Achieve Low Road Mortality Rate?

Norway has a high level of road safety compared to other countries. The Norwegian Ministry of Transport and Communications established the 'Vision Zero Initiative' in 1999 to bring down the number of road deaths to zero and have been working towards the goal since then. Four-year plans have been developed keeping in mind the safety of citizens on roads, and the fifth four-year plan towards Vision Zero is currently going on. Taking into regard the significant reduction in the road fatality rate, the initiative has proven to be highly successful.

They have identified speeding as one of the prominent causes of road accidents, and the police have been patrolling and paying special attention to speed violations. Along with it, speed awareness campaigns were launched to educate the public. Norway's road safety policy is not just a list of rules and regulations, but it was built based on evidence and out of a broad and collaborative approach.

Norway introduced a long term plan for road safety. The National Transport Plan 2018-29 presented to the public in 2017 consists of 13 priority areas and 136 follow-up measures. The priority areas are speed, intoxication, Seat belts/securing of children in the car, children, young drivers, Older road users and road users with disabilities, motorcyclists and mopeds, pedestrians and cyclists, Transportation involving heavy vehicles, Head-on collisions and runoff-the-road accidents, vehicle technology and Road safety work in county administrations and municipalities.

Each of these priority areas had specific indicators listed along with them, and based on the indicators, the status was reviewed each year by keeping in mind the target to be achieved by 2030. By adopting thirty-three safety measures and documenting the effect, the results showed that targeted reduction can be achieved by 2030. The strategic planning and implementation of these plans is a significant milestone in Norway's efforts towards making the roads safer for everyone to travel.

Also Read: National Road Safety Week 2022: Drinking, Driving & Dying