– It was a completely unnecessary overtaking. There was absolutely no reason to do that overtaking there. That’s what Stian Andre Førnes Magnussen says, who was on a trip home to Mo i Rana. The overtaking happened on the E6 between Finneidfjord and Yttervik, south of Mo i Rana. – He was lying down and pressing. I think he was very close to the car behind me. When that car drove off, it didn’t take long before he was lying right behind me. Magnussen had cruise control on, but had to switch it off when the lorry started overtaking just before the bend. – I touched the brake when he had passed to slow down, so he would get past faster, but he took a long time, so I had to brake even more so that he could get in before the turn. – I know the road well and drive it often, so I knew there was a bend coming. So it was scary. It was Rana Blad who mentioned the case first. – Great forces at work – Help me. Oh, oh, oh. It’s really bad. That’s what Marianne Mittet Solbraa in Trygg Trafikk says when she sees the overtaking. – There are great forces at work. The lorry is in the wrong lane when a motorhome approaches. It can have disastrous consequences. Solbraa says that summer is the period of the year with the most traffic accidents in terms of the number of people killed and seriously injured. Photo: Morten Brakestad Although Solbraa thinks the overtaking looks scary, she points out that there could be a lot behind the video. – We do not know what lies ahead. If you are below the speed limit for a long time, it can provoke overtaking, says Solbraa and adds: – According to the notice, overtaking is associated with danger. According to Trygg Trafikk, 60 people have lost their lives on Norwegian roads so far this year. That is two more compared to the same period last year. I think they had good vision. news has been in contact with the company where the truck driver is employed. The general manager believes that the car must also take part of the blame. – The first thing I see there is the yellow markings in the road. It’s not illegal to overtake, but it looks like it’s a dangerous overtaking. The manager of the company has been in contact with the driver, who dismisses Magnussen’s experience. – If he is in 40, it is not bad, but it is clear that it is terribly easy to go to the media with such things According to the manager, the driver had good visibility where they drove past. The company claims that it was the passenger car, which was below the speed limit and stepped on the gas when the train overtook. – The problem was that Magnussen gave in and tried to create a dangerous situation, says the manager of the company. Magnussen tells news that it is not true and that he had to brake to let the train pass. – If I had been driving at 60 kilometers an hour, I would have understood. Then he would have gotten past faster. But when I’m driving at the speed limit, and he still chooses to overtake and it’s not fast enough to overtake, I had to slow down. – But I didn’t step on the brakes. I didn’t do that. But I relaxed. – Do you think you should slow down more? – I don’t quite see that it is relevant considering that he chooses to carry out such an overtaking. Because then his thinking is that he bets that other road users will brake and let him in, and have to give way to him. – Potentially a very dangerous situation Stian Andre Førnes Magnussen called the police when he was overtaken. – Unfortunately, they didn’t pick up the phone. I wanted them to stop him before he got to Mo. I tried twice but they didn’t pick up the phone. So no notice was given to them, says Magnussen. When he did not get an answer from the police, he chose to publish the video on Facebook. – I want there to be a focus on that. There have been a number of ugly accidents on the roads this summer as well. It is not only in winter that there are dangerous situations, but also in summer. Head of the operations center in Nordland, Cathrin Nerhus Lewin, writes in an e-mail that the operations center is experiencing great work pressure this summer, which means waiting time. – The police always answer the phone. During the day, 02800 goes to the switchboard, and such incidents are quickly forwarded to the operations centre. In the evening and at night, all inquiries go to the operations centre. The operations center then handles all inquiries on both 02800 and 112, writes Lewin. Photo: Sondre Skjelvik / news – In such cases, if we have available resources, we will assess and send a patrol to stop the vehicle. We are then dependent on a witness who is willing to come forward. In this case, there is a film to present, but often it is just word for word and difficult to follow up. Lewin writes that the police should ideally follow up on all inquiries. – This is an overtaking that could potentially create a very dangerous situation. Unfortunately, it is the case in the summer that we receive many inquiries both about overtaking and swerving, which the police unfortunately do not have the capacity to follow up. Published 23/07/2024, at 11.00 Updated 23.07.2024, at 11.30 am
ttn-69