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The Friday before the fall holidays is one of the worst days for traffic accidents, at this time of year, you have to believe the insurance industry. Now they are warning.
In the two weeks of autumn holidays last year, there were nearly 20,000 car damages worth almost 500 million kronor. We fear even more damage this year, with more cars on the roads as no one is traveling abroad anymore, says communications consultant Torbjørn Brandeggen at Tryg Forsikring.
Soon it’s time to change
Yellow warning: fear even more accidents
A yellow warning has been posted for snow in the southern mountainous areas, and if you are planning a cab trip in these areas, you should switch to winter tires. So, take it easy and drive carefully.
– Last year there were 1,500 car accidents on the Friday before fall break, and there is reason to fear that the number will be even higher this year. Most accidents happen in the afternoon when people queue to get out of cities. Many motorists are always surprised by snow on the road, and regardless of the tire, it is unusual to drive as it has been a long time since you were last on winter roads. In general, too many people wait too long to switch to winter tires, Brandeggen continues.
Framtind also points out that there is twice the damage to the car during the first snowfall or when it is frozen for the first time.
– The number of reported claims increased by nearly 80 percent compared to other days in November 2019, says claims prevention therapist Therese Nielsen of the insurance company.
Now it’s over and over
Here it happens
Taking one with the weekends, there were 11,294 car accidents in the first week of last year’s fall vacation and 8,167 accidents in the second week of vacation. In all, there were nearly 20,000 car accidents during the two-week fall break. Estimated costs are NOK 454 million, figures from Finans Norge show.
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– Damage figures show that there is a lot of traffic on the roads during the fall holiday weeks, which is natural as many have free time during all or part of work. Most accidents occur between 12 noon and 6 p.m., and the driver is between 35 and 50 years old. There are twice as many men behind the wheel of crashed cars as there are women, and accidents with only one car involved top the list for rear-end accidents, rear-end collisions and collisions with parked cars, Brandeggen says at Tryg Forsikring.
Lots of wind and snow
This year’s fall holidays are split, as usual, in two, with much of eastern and southern Norway next week and the rest of the country the following week. The weather forecast for the weekend indicates strong wind in southern Norway and snow from an altitude of 700 meters in inland and northern eastern Norway, as well as on the eastern side of the mountains.
Therefore, remember to keep the car properly locked. You are responsible for ensuring that the car is safe to drive. If you drive without sufficient grip, the police can react with fines or even a report.
– We relate to what has to do with grip, mainly the depth of the pattern. By definition, it is not illegal to drive on summer tires in winter, but as soon as something happens due to poor grip, you will be informed, says Finn Erik Grønli, a senior police officer from the Traffic Corps in the Police District from Oslo.
Trond has a price impact
It can also be expensive
An additional consequence may be that the insurance company also believes that you have acted grossly negligent. You then risk a reduced compensation of up to 30 percent of the cost of the damage.
– Bottom line is that it’s smart to change your tires ahead of time and at least not drive if you’re in doubt about your grip. It’s one thing that it quickly becomes expensive, but what’s worse is that you risk harming yourself or others. Change the tires or leave the car, says Therese Nielsen in Framtind.
