Twelve die in traffic accidents in one week: 'Frightening start to holidays'

Norway experienced a particularly grim start to its summer holiday period, with 12 people losing their lives in traffic accidents in just seven days. The period from July 4 to July 11 saw a surge in fatalities, including four deaths on a single Saturday. Motorcycles were involved in five of these fatal crashes, with all the deceased riders being men. The accidents spanned the country, from Agder in the south to Nordland in the north.

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It is very high numbers.

Statens vegvesen, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, described the numbers as "very high," noting that while summer often sees an increase in accidents, this particular week stood out. Fungerende avdelingsdirektør for trafikksikkerhet Svein Ringen highlighted that many accidents occur on county roads and less-trafficked routes. He suggested this might be due to drivers taking more risks and pushing the limits on these roads.

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The start of the holidays is frightening considering that so many serious traffic accidents happen in such a short time. We now have more fatalities in traffic accidents than at the same time last year.

Trygg Trafikk, a road safety organization, pointed to several contributing factors in these serious accidents: excessive speed for the conditions or posted limits, driver inattention, intoxication, and the lack of or incorrect use of safety equipment like seatbelts. Fagsjef trafikksikkerhet Bård Morten Johansen urged all road users to concentrate fully on driving and to "expect the unexpected."

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Expect the unexpected, the surprise can come around the next bend or over the next hilltop.