– Here, something has failed completely when it comes to safety on this road. That’s what Geirr Tangstad-Holdal, general manager of the Swedish Traffic Safety Association, says. – When an accident happens, it should not have such fatal consequences, as it did. General manager of the Swedish Traffic Safety Association, Geirr Tangstad-Holdal. When he first read about the accident, he got the impression that this was a road work area where they hadn’t had time to put up guardrails yet. – The water, which looks quite deep, looks like it is a meter from the road. He believes that the side of the road should have been secured with a guard rail. – I think this is a serious disclaimer of responsibility by the road owner that there are no guardrails. Their security responsibility must be taken more seriously than what I see has been done today. news has submitted the criticism from Tangstad-Holdal to the county council, but they have not responded to it. The accident happened here on Monday 13 March 2023. Photo: Google maps There would have been a guardrail if it had been built today Rogaland county council took over responsibility for the county roads on 1 January 2020. Astrid Eide is unit manager for roads and management in the county council. – It is sad to register a new fatal accident in Rogaland where young people are involved. 2022 was also a year with many fatal accidents in the county, she writes in an email to news. She also writes that the road is old and without special improvements in recent times. The county council has received several questions about why there is no road protection on the stretch. – When it was built, there was no requirement for car protection. Current requirements for the construction of a new road dictate that if there is water with a depth of 0.5 meters within the safety zone, which is three metres, we must set up railings. – This means that if we had built the road today, it would have had guardrails. news has been on site and according to our measurements, the safety zone has not been met. From the edge of the road to the slope out to the start of the water is about 50 centimetres. Flowers laid at the scene of the accident at Moi. Photo: Tone Ollestad / news Lost the road grip Mayor of Lund municipality, Magnhild Eia (Sp), says that the residents of Lund initially did not think there was a need for road protection on the stretch. This is because the road is flat, straight and clear. – But it is obvious that it would be very right to set up an obstacle after this accident. It is now that we see how little it takes for someone to go into the river. The mayor of Lund has personally experienced that the road can be unsafe. Photo: Thomas Ystrøm / news In dialogue with several local residents, news is informed that the place, where the car probably lost its grip, is known to be slippery. Eia herself has experienced that the point is exposed if it becomes slippery. – I myself had an experience where I drove off the E39 and onto the road on the other side of the road. Then I cranked completely around. I know exactly how it feels in the pit of your stomach when you lose all grip on the road. The explanation is that the road is so close to the river that the frost smoke settles on the road. In addition, the area is heavily shaded, and the sun rarely gets through. Few accidents Nevertheless, there are few accidents that can be remembered from the stretch, says John Skåland. He is a former municipal manager for planning, industry and the environment. – This is terribly tragic and sad, he says of the accident. Skåland has been in the technical department in Lund for 32 years, and has also been fire chief in the municipality. – It has not been a particularly vulnerable road in terms of injuries. I can’t remember that there has been any pressure from any quarter that there should be car protection here, he says. – Can you remember any accidents from the road? – I have heard rumors about a car that drove off many years ago. I also remember when there was a flood, then a car was left well under water, but it was still standing on the road. Then there was talk of concrete edges there, but there was no question of a danger of going downhill. John Skåland, now retired, has been the first to accident sites in Lund municipality several times. He cannot remember any similar accidents on Fv 4242. Photo: Ole Andreas Bø / news He points out that he has several times experienced feedback from residents about other roads, but never at Moisåna. – But now the accident has happened, and you can see how tragic the outcome can be. It is probably very sensible to set up car guards on the stretch now. He emphasizes that he does not think anyone has been negligent in the safety work around the road. – Next time the accident may happen in a completely different place, where there should be a guardrail. This is very difficult, and there is no easy conclusive solution.
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Two boys lost their lives after a car fell into the water at Moi, no road protection on site – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
