Why Norway is warning drivers about 'egg-shaped' bends
The risk of certain types of accidents on long, fast bends is greater compared to other types of road, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) has concluded following a study.
The NPRA (Norwegian: Vegvesenet) analyzed almost 63,000 different bends in the eastern part of the country in order to assess which types of road curve have the highest frequency of accidents in which vehicles leave the road.
The study encompasses data from 62,952 bends with speed limits between 60 and 90 kilometres per hours in the Østfold, Oppland, Akershus and Hedmark counties, NTB reports. The analysis looks at all curves with a lower horizontal curve radius than 700 metres, NRPA writes in the report.
In the last four years, accidents in these areas involving vehicles leaving the roads resulted in 33 deaths, 16 very serious injuries and a further 188 serious injuries, the study found.
The figures make this type of accident the most common in the region.
‘Egg-shaped’ bends in which the curve becomes sharper as the driver progresses around it increase the risk of a run-off type accident, the roads agency found.
Advarer mot lange, krappe og eggeformede svinger https://t.co/liWru8s6Xf pic.twitter.com/wQNWMAtYx5
— Statens vegvesen (@Presserom) October 14, 2019
That is due to the driver needing to make an extra turn on the steering when traveling at too high a speed.
Measures such as central reservations, better roadside terrain and better visibility can help to reduce the risk of accidents on these types of bends, NPRA notes.
A large proportion of the accidents occurred on roads with low traffic volume.
“It is more difficult to prevent run-off accidents on roads with less traffic. That’s because the accidents are spread over a larger road network,” Epsen Haugvik, a senior engineer with NPRA in East Norway, told NTB.
READ ALSO: 'Fewer than ever' Norwegians killed in traffic accidents
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The NPRA (Norwegian: Vegvesenet) analyzed almost 63,000 different bends in the eastern part of the country in order to assess which types of road curve have the highest frequency of accidents in which vehicles leave the road.
The study encompasses data from 62,952 bends with speed limits between 60 and 90 kilometres per hours in the Østfold, Oppland, Akershus and Hedmark counties, NTB reports. The analysis looks at all curves with a lower horizontal curve radius than 700 metres, NRPA writes in the report.
In the last four years, accidents in these areas involving vehicles leaving the roads resulted in 33 deaths, 16 very serious injuries and a further 188 serious injuries, the study found.
The figures make this type of accident the most common in the region.
‘Egg-shaped’ bends in which the curve becomes sharper as the driver progresses around it increase the risk of a run-off type accident, the roads agency found.
Advarer mot lange, krappe og eggeformede svinger https://t.co/liWru8s6Xf pic.twitter.com/wQNWMAtYx5
— Statens vegvesen (@Presserom) October 14, 2019
That is due to the driver needing to make an extra turn on the steering when traveling at too high a speed.
Measures such as central reservations, better roadside terrain and better visibility can help to reduce the risk of accidents on these types of bends, NPRA notes.
A large proportion of the accidents occurred on roads with low traffic volume.
“It is more difficult to prevent run-off accidents on roads with less traffic. That’s because the accidents are spread over a larger road network,” Epsen Haugvik, a senior engineer with NPRA in East Norway, told NTB.
READ ALSO: 'Fewer than ever' Norwegians killed in traffic accidents
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