Norway to introduce stricter road safety measures amid stalled progress in reducing traffic deaths

Norway’s road authority has announced plans for “intrusive measures,” including lower speed limits and increased speed cameras, after traffic fatalities and serious injuries stopped declining, Dagbladet reports.

For decades, Norway saw a steady decrease in road deaths, but preliminary figures show 106 fatalities last year, with 22 recorded so far this year. Despite a 50-year downward trend, the country remains far from its “Vision Zero” goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries.

Guro Ranes, director of traffic safety at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, warned in a column in Aftenposten that upcoming changes “will be disliked by many.” She acknowledged that while Norway is among the safest countries for road traffic, further progress requires new interventions.

“We are hitting a ceiling,” Ranes told Dagbladet. “The question is how much we are willing to endure to save lives.”

The national action plan, revised every four years, now includes 200 concrete measures, such as:
– Lowering speed limits on high-risk rural roads from 80 km/h to 70 km/h, significantly improving survival rates in head-on collisions.
– Expanding automated speed enforcement with more cameras and checks.
– Stricter driver training requirements, particularly for young motorists.
– Raising the minimum age for riding light motorcycles (mopeds) from 16 to 18, a change recommended by the Accident Investigation Board after multiple fatal crashes involving teens in 2024 and 2025.

Ranes admitted the motorcycle proposal would face backlash, noting that while only 4–5% of Norwegian teens ride mopeds, the vehicles are “the most dangerous choice a 16-year-old can make.” She argued that alternative transport options exist and that current laws may not adequately protect young riders.

The plan also targets 16–19-year-olds, a high-risk group where fatal and serious injuries have stagnated. A December 2025 report revealed that nearly all young drivers (aged 16–24) involved in fatal crashes are male, often due to speeding and reckless behavior.

“Most know the risks but don’t fully grasp the consequences—for themselves or others,” Ranes said, calling the group “challenging to reach” with traditional safety campaigns.

While Norway’s long-term efforts have made its roads among the world’s safest, Ranes stressed that further reductions demand “unpopular but life-saving steps.”

“Many will see these as restrictions on freedom,” she said. “But we have proof they will save lives. We can’t ignore that.”