The case in summary: • Three people died in a hit-and-run accident on county road 24 in Stange last year. The accident could have been prevented with reinforced center markings, according to the National Accident Investigation Board.• Reinforced center markings, or rumble strips, warn the driver with sound and vibration if the car is on its way into the wrong lane.• The Accident Investigation Board now recommends that the Norwegian Road Administration introduce reinforced center markings in more places and in all new roads.• Innlandet County Council, which owns the road where the accident occurred, is positive about introducing more safety measures on its roads. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. On 27 April last year, three people lost their lives in a head-on accident on county road 24. The car they were in crossed into the oncoming lane and crashed with a lorry train. The National Accident Investigation Board writes in a recent accident report that the accident was probably due to the driver’s inattention. The report states that reinforced center markings at the scene could have prevented the accident by making the driver aware that the car was crossing into the oncoming lane. This is what rumble fields sound like. So-called rumble strips in the middle of the road warn road users with both sound and vibration if they are moving into the wrong lane. The Accident Investigation Board now recommends that the Norwegian Road Administration introduce markings in more places and on all new roads. – Shall learn from this accident There were great forces in the accident last year. A total of five people were involved. One person in the back seat of the car survived and the truck driver was physically unharmed. The collision forces were so great that the Accident Investigation Board has asked questions about how it was possible for one person to survive. But good medical help and good rescue work are seen as the cause. Photo: Knut Røsrud There was a reinforced median on county road 24 in Stange, but not on the stretch where the fatal accident occurred. The reason is that there are residential buildings close to the road which could be disturbed by noise. – Innlandet county council must learn from this accident and we are meeting clearer regulations in the area, says section manager for the transport department in Innlandet county council, Alfred Kristoffer Gullord. Alfred Kristoffer Gullord, section manager of the inland county municipality’s transport department, believes reinforced center markings are a good measure. Photo: Magnus Molstad Olsen / news He is positive about implementing more safety measures on the county council’s roads. – Reinforced center markings can make drivers aware that they are heading into the wrong lane, so we see this as a good measure, he says. May become a mandatory requirement The Norwegian Accident Investigation Board recommends that the Swedish Road Administration update its guidelines. Reinforced center markings can then become a mandatory requirement when establishing a new road and new asphalt. In addition to the fact that there should be good reasons if no new labeling is introduced. In the accident report after the fatal accident in Stange, the commission writes that the road markings are very cost-effective. This is what it looks like on the stretch where the accident happened. This is from investigations after the accident. Photo: Knut Røsrud / news A review of 29 studies has examined the effectiveness. The study shows that reinforced center markings reduce the number of collision accidents by 32 per cent, says Ingvild Ytrehus, department director for road traffic and land defence. – For accidents that are very serious, with fatalities and serious injuries, there is an even greater reduction in the number of collisions, she says. Ingvild Ytrehus, department director for road traffic and land defence, says that there are criteria when it comes to where rumble fields can be established. – The speed limit must be a minimum of 70 and the road width a minimum of 7.5 m. This applies to new facilities or when new asphalt is laid. Photo: Mathilde Solbakken Stenberg / ©StudioOSCAR The so-called zero vision of no one killed or seriously injured has been the basis for road safety work since 2001. The National Action Plan for Road Safety 2022–2025 describes two measures to reduce road accidents with reinforced center markings: Establishment of all highways. The county municipalities will select stretches that are suitable for the establishment of reinforced center markings when they are reasphalted. What are rumble fields? Reinforced road markings are described in road standard N302 (Vegdirektoratet 2015 and 2021) as “road markings that are reinforced with milling in the asphalt surface. The purpose of the milling is to cause vibration in the vehicle.” Reinforced road markings can be established both for the edge line (reinforced edge marking) and for the center line (reinforced center marking). Reinforced road markings can be used on roads with a speed limit above 70 km/h. On existing roads, only reinforced center markings can be used on roads with a paved width greater than 7.5 metres. Source: Norwegian Accident Investigation Board The Norwegian Road Administration can change the rules The Norwegian Road Administration says it will consider whether it is necessary to update the rules for road markings following the recommendation from the Norwegian Accident Investigation Board. – It is too early in the process to conclude which requirements should possibly be included in the road standard, says section manager for roads and streets, Matteo Stefano Pezzucchi. The road standard sets requirements for the design of all public roads and streets. He says it is the owner of the road who must assess safety measures and take responsibility for the costs of any measures. In this case, it is Innlandet County Municipality. – But we see that reinforced road markings can increase traffic safety and in some cases reduce the risk of collisions. It was on this stretch that the accident in April 2023 took place. The picture was taken in the same area this week. Photo: Magnus Molstad Olsen / news Published 29.06.2024, at 17.18
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The Norwegian Accident Investigation Board asks the Swedish Road Administration to introduce reinforced center markings on new roads – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
