Report on incident near Svinesund in Østfold county on 5 May 2014

The timber fell off the trailer when it overturned and spread across the southbound lanes and partly into the northbound lanes on the E 6 road. No one was injured, but a northbound passenger car was unable to steer clear of the timber lying on the road. No other vehicles were involved in the accident, but that was due to coincidence, and the incident had the potential to cause very extensive harm.

The investigation has shown that the heavy goods vehicle was stable and that the driver had adjusted the speed in order to merge with other traffic on the E 6 road. The investigation has also shown that the actual geometry of the entry ramp had an unfortunate bend, with the tightest bend at the very end of the ramp, right before the start of the acceleration field. The accident is deemed to be a result of a failure in the interaction between the driver and the heavy goods vehicle's performance in relation to the condition and function of the road.

The investigation has also shown that the Norwegian Public Roads Administration's (NPRA) requirements of the design and execution of entry ramps do not take adequate account of the road's function, i.e. that the entry ramp will also be used by large and heavy vehicles. There are no minimum requirements for the entry ramps' geometric values or for assessing the extent to which the entry ramps' geometric design takes into account the dynamic properties of heavy vehicles. The AIBN therefore recommends that the NPRA revise its requirements in relation to the design and execution of entry ramps.