Road traffic accidents involving personal injury, December 2006

More fatalities, fewer injuries

A total of 45 people were killed and 319 injured in accidents involving lorries in 2006, while the corresponding figures for 2005 were 34 and 360 respectively. This is 18.6 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.

The annual averages for the five-year period 2002-2006 were 34 killed and 353 injured.

Among the 45 people killed in accidents involving lorries in 2006, 30 were drivers of cars, ten were car passengers, two were motorcyclists, one cyclist, one pedestrian and one other road-user. Thirty-five of the 319 people who were injured were seriously injured, while 257 were slightly injured. For the remaining 27, the degree of injury was not stated.

Many head-on accidents

A total of 93 of the 262 lorry accidents last year were head-on collisions with other vehicles, which is a share of 35.5 per cent of all accidents involving lorries. Looking at the total number of road traffic accidents in 2006, head-on collisions accounted for only 14.4 per cent of the accidents. Thirty-six people were killed and 118 were injured in head-on collisions with lorries on Norwegian roads in 2006.

More running off the road accidents

There were 63 so-called single accidents involving lorries in 2006, i.e. accidents in which other vehicles were not involved. Sixty of such accidents were caused by single vehicles running off the road. This is also a slight increase compared with last year. Two people were killed and 63 were injured in accidents involving single lorries running off the road in 2006.

Accidents peaked in January and February

There were 30 and 28 accidents involving lorries in January and February respectively, the highest number of accidents in any single month of 2006. The number of people killed in such accidents peaked in February at ten.

The statistics are made up of accidents reported to the police. Less severe accidents and injuries are therefore under-represented in the figures.

Tables:

• Table 1 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured by degree of injury. 1997-2006
• Table 2 Accidents involving lorries. Number of traffic units involved and persons killed or injured. 2006-2006
• Table 3 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by county. 2003-2006
• Table 4 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by month 2003-2006
• Table 5 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by type of accident. 2002-2006