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The train stopped in the middle of the E18 after a break in a brake hose, which was not approved. Now all road traffic players will observe their routines.
This is how it looked 250 meters from the accident site two days after the accident occurred. A fault in a brake hose meant the train got stuck in the middle of the E18 at Asker. Norwegian Accident Investigation Board
On May 13 of last year, a truck stopped in the center lane of the highway near Asker. Shortly afterwards, two people were killed when a car reached 80 kilometers per hour and crashed into the trailer.
The train downtime occurred due to a break in the brake hoses between the car and the trailer, according to a recent report from the Accident Investigation Board of Norway (AIBN).
– The investigation showed that the hose was an oil hose that had multiple joints and was not approved for the compressed air system, the commission writes.
The report notes that both the engineering industry and truck owners should have paid more attention to regular inspections and maintenance.
But long emergency response times, inadequate signage and inaccessible cranes are also among the factors that played a role in the tragedy.
Two people died while getting into a truck that had stopped on the E18. The Norwegian Police / Accident Investigation Board
– unacceptable
Geir Mo, managing director of the Norwegian Truck Owners Association, says they will do their part to follow up by providing more information to their members.
– But this tragic accident should not be a question of hose connections or not. Downtime on a motorway can occur for various reasons and we can never guarantee that a vehicle will stop and cannot move, he writes in an email to Aftenposten.
The report indicates that in the period between the blackout and the accident, one car passed per second on the highway, which has a speed zone of 90 kilometers per hour. When the train stopped, the driver opted to activate the hazard warning lights and warning lights on the roof of the truck and notified the police operations center of the need for assistance.
Then he called the police. 20 minutes later, the firefighters were the first with road authority on the scene, seconds after the car hit the train. Instead of helping with rescue, they had to implement immediate first aid to save lives.
– In my opinion, it is completely unacceptable that a vehicle can stay in the midfield for so long on one of our busiest highways without the police or highway authorities arriving at the scene and directing the traffic, says Mo.
Aftenposten has been in contact with Asker and Bærum Fire and Rescue, who do not want to comment on the report from the Accident Investigation Board or the statement from the Norwegian Association of Truck Owners. The police also do not want to comment and consult the responses of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.
Potential for improvement
The EU inspection gave the vehicle the green light two weeks in advance without discovering the fault in the brake hoses. The report concludes that the control has “potential for improvement”.
– The EU control is relatively quick and easy, and does not include the disassembly of parts as there are no requirements for. now about doing it. The hoses in question here are checked, but it can be difficult to see incorrect repairs, explains section manager Sigve Olav Austenå in the vehicle and road users department of the Norwegian Public Road Administration.
– Why are these parts not disassembled and further examined in the inspection?
– The inspection follows an EU directive and does not have to be a full state examination. The trade-off is how carefully you have to do it over time and cost. We will look at the AIBN’s findings and see what we can learn and if the guidelines need to be evaluated, he says.
Not notified on signs
According to witnesses, the car entered the train at about 80 kilometers per hour.
The report proposes that the Norwegian Public Roads Administration should consider increasing the use of surveillance cameras and traffic information, in order to reduce the risk of accidents in case of downtime and other unforeseen incidents on busy roads. Nils Karbø, director of the department of transport and society of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, says there are no surveillance cameras where the accident occurred.
– Did you consider installing more cameras as a result of the AIBN report?
– It is a continuous evaluation that we do in consultation with the owner of the road about where it is necessary to have this type of monitoring, so it is natural that we look at it after such an accident, he answers.
The department also manages signs along the road that inform road users of any accidents. The closest sign of where the accident occurred is in Sandvika, 11 kilometers away. The car passed the sign before the accident. There it was not reported that a truck was stuck ahead.
– Why was it not reported that there was a truck stuck in the middle of the highway at the nearest sign? Where was the reason for not reporting this?
– The assessment was that it is too far with heavy traffic on and off the E18, so it would not be perceived as relevant to road users, responds Karbø.
After the accident occurred, a warning appeared on the sign.
– Should a message have been posted on this sign earlier?
– It is difficult to assess whether it would have had any impact, so I will not speculate.
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