– Take it easy and pass cars that seem to have a bad time, then we’ll let them do stupid overtaking. It is the clear encouragement to Trond Hatlenes in the West police district. For many Norwegians, Friday 22 December is the day you drive home for Christmas. Already the day before, Hatlenes had to respond to a traffic accident in Jølster where a person drove off the E39 and smashed the guardrail. All over the country there were several traffic closures on Thursday 21 December. A car ended up on its roof at the Bergsenga junction on the E18 in Holmestrand. Emergency services are still working in the Hemtunnel in Tønsberg after a chain collision on Thursday morning. Motorists are advised not to drive on the E6 at the Grankrysset in Akershus. There are long queues on E18.E18 in Tønsberg. On Friday morning, travelers will face canceled flights and closed mountain passes. This is the status of the mountain crossings at 07: Fv 50 Hol–Aurland: Closed Riksveg 13 Vikafjellet: Closed Fylkesveg 53 Årdal –Tyin: Closed Fylkesveg 51 Gardli – Bygdin: Closed E134 Haukelifjell: Kolonnekøring Rv7. Hardangervidda: Kolonnekøyring E6 Dovrefjell, E16 Filefjell, Route 52 Hemsedalsfjellet, Route 15 Strynefjellet are all open. Updated information is available at vegvesenet.no Several flight departures from Gardermoen are also delayed or canceled on Friday morning, according to Avinor’s overview. The same applies to flights from Stavanger and Bergen. The morning flights to Bergen and Oslo from Molde Airport were both cancelled. The flight was supposed to leave at 06.15 and 06.45. The flight which was supposed to leave from Ålesund airport, Vigra to Oslo at 06.00 has been rescheduled for 09.20. Also at Ørsta-Volda airport there are minor delays on the morning flight, which is scheduled to leave just before 10.00. The flight that was supposed to go to Oslo from Kristiansund Airport at 06.25 has been postponed to 06.55. Departures from Trondheim and Tromsø are more on schedule, shows the overview from Avinor. Demanding driving conditions The police are asking people who are traveling long distances today to think about a few things before getting into the car: Be rested, take your time and stop if you get tired. Get the children active so you can focus on driving. Secure your load well. Think about what you have at the top and bottom of the luggage compartment. Adjust your speed and drive according to the conditions. And the driving conditions can be demanding now in the days before Christmas. A yellow warning for snow has been issued on Friday along large parts of the coast in southern Norway. On Friday, there will be stormy weather along large parts of the coast. Photo: @meteorologene / X This also applies on the mountain. On Haukelifjell and Hardangervidda, convoy driving has been introduced on Thursday evenings. Are you going over the mountain? Update yourself on the mountain crossings here. – Plan well A total of 1.2 million Norwegians will go out and travel in the last days of the year, according to figures from the National Roads Administration. Of these, 135,000 are on the move on Friday 22 December. There are few local variations on where people go, except for those who live in Oslo. There, almost half stated that they will travel to another city in the country. – The most important advice is to be prepared and plan well before you travel, says Guro Ranes, department director for traffic safety in the Norwegian Road Administration. The Swedish Road Administration’s advice for a safe Christmas journey Plan your trip, and keep an eye on the weather forecast for the area you will be driving in. Keep yourself updated along the way, e.g. via www.vegvesen.no/trafikk or the Vegvesen trafikk app. Make sure the car is properly locked. Have a full tank or full battery. Bring extra clothes, food and drink. Drive according to the conditions. Source: Norwegian Road Administration From 18 December to Christmas Eve, Norwegians have crashed more than 44,000 times in the past five years, according to Frende Forsikring. – It is not the time when there are the most serious accidents, but there are many incidents and accidents due to the weather and the road, says Ranes. Are the cars in front of you starting to become indistinct? Then it is a sign that you should stop the car and take a rest. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news
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Today, 135,000 Norwegians are traveling – how to get there safely – news Vestland
