Anita Presthus waves in a car that has been measured as exceeding the speed limit. At almost every check the emergency police carry out, they have to stop cars that have driven over the speed limit. This time there is no exception. – We have measured you at a speed of 69 kilometers per hour in the 50 zone. The laser has a safety margin of 3 kilometers per hour. We are then at 66 kilometers per hour. What I can offer you for this is a simplified proposal of NOK 7,800 and three points, says partner Preben Madsen to a motorhome driver. Some do it consciously, others are inattentive. Whatever the excuse, they cannot escape the summons from the police. This makes a big dent in the holiday budget for most people. Preben Madsen talks to a driver who has driven too fast. Photo: Helge Lyngmoe – We do this to prevent serious traffic accidents. There has been a lot of that in recent years, says Anita Presthus. She is a police chief and group leader for the emergency police in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark. Impatient motorists news meets the patrol on the E10 near Kongsvika. This is a stretch of road that many who want to reach Lofoten have to drive past. – We see that there are quite a few impatient motorists. – Who is driving too fast? – It is usually tourists who go on holiday. They are fascinated by their surroundings and forget about themselves. The laser meter beeps again, and Presthus once again has to go out into the road to stop a car. This time it went way too fast. In June, 13,000 motorists were caught for speeding. It is serious, says Geir Marthinsen. – There are, of course, far too many. We know that high speed is a contributing factor to the most serious accidents we have. We would have liked to see more of them obeying the speed limit. Furthermore, Marthinsen says that intoxication is a very big challenge in traffic. – It is both alcohol, illegal substances and drugs, many times in an interaction. We would like to see that we had far fewer of them on the road because they pose a risk to me and you. Driver’s license revoked A Swedish-registered car has been measured at 79 kilometers per hour. The speed limit on the spot is 50. This means that the driver is no longer allowed to drive in Norway. And the driver is not alone. Every day, the emergency police are along the roads in Norway. The aim is to reduce rough driving along the roads. In this way, the worst fatal accidents can be prevented. Last year, 48 people died on Norwegian roads in the summer months. The highest number since 2016. But the numbers of people killed this year are already higher than last year’s. Last year, 36 people lost their lives in traffic from January to May. So far this year, the number is higher with 39 killed. Fewer people use mobile phones From 1 February, the rates on traffic fines increased by 30 per cent. It now costs you NOK 9,700 to use your mobile while driving. And it seems to have affected motorists’ mobile use. – It was meant to be a deterrent. We believe that this has contributed to the proportion of mobile phone use becoming fewer, says Geir Marthinsen, UP manager in Nordland. Geir Harald Marthinsen, UP head in the north Photo: TOR FARSTAD Compared to the first half of 2022 and 2023, the number of motorists caught using mobile phones has decreased by 42 per cent. Intensifying the checks Throughout June, July and August, the Emergency Police are intensifying the speed checks on European and county roads. But so far this year, fewer have received simplified notices or been reported, compared to the same time last year. Presthus is clear that they are doing what they can to reduce accidents. – We must manage it, and then we must be visible. Our most important task is to be out on the roads and prevent. If we continue with it, it will get better. – Are there many who will not accept the proposals? – No, it is not. But some people are put off by the size, says Madsen.
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Emergency police stop motorists who drive too fast in Norway – news Nordland
