Road traffic accidents involving personal injury, December 2004

The number of accidents involving lorries increased more than the total number of road traffic accidents. While the latter increased by 2 per cent from 2003 to 2004, the number of accidents involving lorries increased by almost 6 per cent. As a result, the share of accidents involving lorries increased from 3 per cent of all traffic accidents in 2003 to 3.2 per cent in 2004. The annual average for the five-year period 2000-2004 was 3.2 per cent.

Fewer fatalities, more injuries

A total of 23 people were killed and 373 were injured in accidents involving lorries in 2004, while the corresponding figures for 2003 were 36 and 327 respectively. The annual averages for the five-year period 2000-2004 were 32 and 359, which is 10.7 per cent of the total number of people killed and 3 per cent of the total number of people injured on Norwegian roads every year.

Among the 23 people killed in accidents involving lorries in 2004, 19 were drivers of cars, one was the passenger in a car, two were motorcyclists and one was a cyclist. 46 of the 373 people who were injured were seriously injured, while 274 were slightly injured. For the remaining 53, the degree of injury was not reported.

Many head-on accidents

A total of 81 of the 269 lorry accidents last year were head-on accidents with other vehicles, which is 30 per cent of all accidents involving lorries. Looking at the total number of road traffic accidents in 2004, head-on accidents only accounted for 15.5 per cent of the accidents. 13 people were killed and 113 were injured in head-on accidents with lorries on Norwegian roads in 2004.

More running off the road accidents

There were 57 so-called single accidents involving lorries in 2004, i.e. accidents in which other vehicles were not involved. 53 of such accidents were caused by single vehicles running off the road, which is 13 fewer than in 2003. Three people were killed and 60 were injured in accidents involving single lorries running off the road in 2004. In 2003, seven people were killed and 71 were injured in accidents involving single lorries running off the road.

Accidents peaked in June

There were 27 accidents involving lorries in June, the highest number of accidents in any single month of 2004. The number of people killed in such accidents peaked in April and September (4 people in each month).

Police figures

The statistics are based on accidents reported to the police. Less severe accidents and injuries are therefore under-represented in the figures. In addition, the total number of injuries includes casualties where the degree of injury has not been specified. Future figures may prove that there was no injury.

Tables:

• Table 1 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured by degree of injury. 1995-2004
• Table 2 Accidents involving lorries. Number of traffic units involved and persons killed or injured. 2001-2004
• Table 3 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by county. 2001-2004
• Table 4 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by month. 2001-2004
• Table 5 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by type of accident. 2001-2004