Last Christmas, two buses collided head-on at the Fredrikstad Bridge in Fredrikstad. One of the bus drivers died after the collision, while the other was critically injured. Now the Accident Investigation Board’s report after the accident is ready. It shows that the buses maintained a speed of 32 and 35 kilometers per hour respectively when they collided head-on. Despite the low speed, both buses sustained extensive damage. Photos of the damage to the buses show that the driver’s seats were completely deformed. This is what the driver’s seat looked like in the bus where the man in his 50s died after the accident. Photo: Norwegian Accident Investigation Board – The design with a lack of shock-absorbing construction on the buses’ left front represents a general technical challenge for several bus manufacturers, the Norwegian Accident Investigation Agency. One bus crossed into the oncoming lane. The Accident Investigation Board has not been able to find out what is the reason for this. – Confirming what we have been saying all along – My members are concerned about the safety of these buses, with good reason. There are no other occupational groups that would accept such a workplace, says Ove Andreas Solberg. He is the deputy chairman of the Trade Union’s vocational section for transport and traffic, and receives support from the Norwegian Transport Association. – It is so unsafe to be a bus driver today that you die at 30 kilometers per hour, says union leader Jim Klungnes. – This report confirms what we have been saying all along. There is no physical collision safety on buses today, explains Klungnes. Candles were lit and flowers were laid at the scene of the accident after the accident. Photo: Benjamin Vorland Andersrød / news Should be better protected. Among other things, the Accident Investigation Board is responsible for investigating serious traffic accidents. According to them, there is a need for greater knowledge about collision safety in buses. They believe bus drivers as employees should be better protected than they are today. The investigations after the accident in Fredrikstad have shown that the front of the buses are not designed to cope with frontal collisions at low speed. – This is critical for the safety of bus drivers in frontal collisions, writes the Accident Investigation Board. The National Accident Investigation Board investigated the buses after the accident. Photo: Lars Håkon Pedersen / news The bus driver who survived the accident was shortly after the accident charged with negligent homicide. This case was dropped by the police in November this year, because they were unable to find out why the buses collided. Has been warning for a long time A collective bus industry has sounded the alarm for years about the lack of driver safety. Since 2011, at least ten bus drivers have lost their lives in collisions on Norwegian roads. On 1 October this year, stricter requirements for collision safety were introduced in Norwegian buses. Transport Minister Jon-Ivar Nygård has previously admitted that the new safety requirements are not good enough. – This is an underdeveloped area, he has previously told news.
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Collided at 35 kilometers per hour – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
