– It is dangerous for those who work at the scene of the accident. The emergency services are soft road users, we are vulnerable and we need all possible attention from them around, says Terje Marstad. He is operations manager in the East police district, and gets to know most of what happens with the patrols out on the roads. On Tuesday afternoon, a woman in her 30s was stopped for filming the scene of the accident she was driving past, on the E6 in Moss. Operations manager Terje Marstad in the East police district believes that it is dangerous for the emergency services working at the scene of an accident for motorists to pick up their phones and film while they are driving. Photo: Caroline Bergli Tolfsen / news – She then chose to delete the film from her phone. The woman thought it resolved the situation, but it was too late, says Marstad. The police gave her a simplified sentence which she did not want to accept. She was reported, and can expect a corresponding fine of NOK 10,000, according to the operations manager. Several cases in a short time On Monday, two people were fined for the same thing, when they filmed an accident scene between Fredrikstad and Råde. That is precisely why the police took to social media on Tuesday and warned people not to take their attention away from the road when an accident occurred on the E6 right at Rygge airport. Nevertheless, they stopped a person who answered the phone. – It is life-threatening for those on the scene. We have to put an end to that, says Marstad. In recent years, many people have been fined precisely for filming while driving past an accident scene. The operations manager does not know if the number of cases is increasing, but says they see it too often. – I don’t have specific statistics, but we are discovering that it is happening. Why should people film other people’s distress in connection with an accident? In my opinion, it is only to make themselves interesting on social media, and it shows a bad attitude. Shares the police’s concern Trygg Trafikk works continuously for road safety in Norway. They don’t like the stories the police tell. – What we understand from the police and emergency services is that far too many choose to film and take pictures of accident situations. We are not present at the accidents, but we share their concern. Paal Gunnar Mathisen in Trygg Trafikk shares the police’s concern. Photo: Caroline Bergli Tolfsen / news This is what Paal Gunnar Mathisen, special advisor for Trygg Trafikk i Viken, says. It is not only the risk of secondary accidents that he is concerned with. At accident sites, there are often people in a vulnerable situation. – It is the respect towards the accident victims that you step on. That people continue is not surprising, but we wish they wouldn’t. The emergency services must spend their time rescuing those involved, not stopping curious motorists with mobile phones.
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The police react to people filming while driving past traffic accidents – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
