Road traffic volumes, 2008

New cars are generally driven more than older cars. Utility vehicles like road tractors, lorries and buses are driven quite a lot longer than other types of vehicles in their first five to ten years. After a while, however, the average yearly mileage of utility vehicles is closing in on the average mileage of other types of vehicles. An average passenger car is driven about 18 000 kilometres annually in the first four years after registration. When the passenger car is ten years old, the average yearly mileage is lower than the average mileage of the total stock of passenger cars.

Road tractors are kept busy

Norwegian road tractors were driven 71 700 kilometres on average in 2008, longer than any other type of road vehicle. In comparison, Norwegian taxis performed an average of 63 800 vehicle-kilometres last year. Motor homes and large combined vehicles, on the other hand, were only driven about 11 800 kilometres on average in 2008. Passenger cars were driven 13 700 kilometres on average in 2008, about the same as the year before.

Changes in the average mileages are often due to changes in the average age of the stock of vehicles in each vehicle group. This explains the increasing average mileages for large and small vans, two types of vehicles that have become increasingly popular in the last years. The average mileages of large and small combined vehicles, on the other hand, are decreasing as these cars are getting older.

More cars generate more traffic

Norwegian passenger cars, road goods vehicles, buses and coaches performed a total of 43 billion vehicle-kilometres in 2008. The total distances covered increased by 2 per cent compared with the previous year, an increase which corresponds with the growth in the registered stock of vehicles in the same period.

Passenger cars performed more than 75 per cent of the total distances covered by the vehicles in the statistics. This share includes taxis, ambulances and motor homes, although such vehicles only contributed to a small fraction of the total vehicle-kilometres performed by passenger cars. Vans and small lorries contributed to approximately 18 per cent of the total distances covered in the statistics, while heavy lorries, road tractors, buses and coaches in all contributed to about 7 per cent.

Vehicles from Akershus are driven the most

Vehicles owned by persons or enterprises from Akershus, Oslo and Hordaland performed more than one third of the total distances covered by Norwegian passenger cars, road goods vehicles, buses and coaches in 2008. These counties are the most densely populated in Norway, and in addition to this, most car rental and car leasing companies are also located here. Although vehicles may be driven in other counties than where their owners are located, the distribution of vehicle-kilometres by home county of the owners should indicate the level of traffic in different areas of Norway.

Tables:

• Table 1 Distances covered by vehicles, by type of vehicle. 2005-2008. Million kms
• Table 2 Distances covered by vehicles, by type of vehicle. Average per vehicle. 2005-2008. Kms
• Table 3 Distances covered by vehicles, by type of vehicle and age of vehicle. 2008. Million kms
• Table 4 Distances covered by vehicles, by type and age of vehicle. Average per vehicle. 2008. Kms
• Table 5 Distances covered by vehicles, by type of vehicle and home county of owner. 2008. Million kms
• Table 6 Distances covered by vehicles, by type of vehicle and home county of owner. Average per vehicle. 2008. Kms