Road traffic accidents involving personal injury, December 2003

The number of accidents involving lorries decreased more than the total number of road traffic accidents. While the latter decreased by 5 per cent from 2002 to 2003, the number of accidents involving lorries fell by almost 11 per cent. As a result, the share of accidents involving lorries decreased from 3.2 per cent of all traffic accidents in 2002 to 3 per cent in 2003. The annual average for the five-year period 1999-2003 was 3.2 per cent.

More fatalities, fewer injuries

A total of 36 people were killed and 327 were injured in accidents involving lorries in 2003, while the corresponding figures for 2002 were 31 and 387 respectively. The annual averages for the five-year period 1999-2003 were 34 and 361, which is 11.3 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 36 people killed in accidents involving lorries in 2003, 24 were drivers of cars, ten were passengers in cars, one was a motorcyclist and one was a pedestrian. 39 of the 327 people who were injured were seriously injured, while 246 people were slightly injured. For the remaining 42 people, the degree of injury was not stated.

Many head-on accidents

A total of 89 of the 252 lorry accidents last year were head-on accidents with other vehicles, which is a share of 35 per cent of all accidents involving lorries. Looking at the total number of road traffic accidents in 2003, head-on accidents accounted for only 14.5 per cent of the accidents. 26 people were killed and 115 were injured in head-on accidents with lorries on Norwegian roads in 2003.

More running off the road accidents

There were 68 so-called single accidents involving lorries in 2003, i.e. accidents in which other vehicles were not involved. 66 of such accidents were caused by single vehicles running off the road, 15 more than in 2002. This is also a slight increase compared with the annual average for the last five years. Seven people were killed and 71 were injured in accidents involving single lorries running off the road in 2003.

Accidents peaked in January

There were 30 accidents involving lorries in January, the highest number of accidents in any single month of 2003. The number of people killed in such accidents peaked in November (6 people).

The statistics include 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. 1994-2003
• Table 2 Accidents involving lorries. Number of traffic units involved and persons killed or injured. 2001-2003
• Table 3 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by county. 2001-2003
• Table 4 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by month. 2001-2003
• Table 5 Accidents involving lorries. Persons killed or injured, by mode of transport and type of accident. 2003