Report on an accident involving a passenger car and a driver of a heavy goods vehicle on E18 near Arendal on 29 May 2020
Road traffic report 2022/06
The accident occurred when the driver of a heavy gods vehicle (HGV) was hit by a passenger car on the new E18 road near Arendal. The hard shoulder was not sufficiently wide to allow the whole HGV to be placed outside the roadway. The driver exited the vehicle to secure the lashing at the rear of the semi-trailer. This resulted in him standing in the roadway to the left of the vehicle. Shortly afterwards, the driver was hit by a passenger car, and died from the injuries he sustained. Insufficient hard shoulder width, as well as lack of emergency lay-bys and the absence of notification, were the most important contributing factors to the accident. The investigation has shown that the road safety was not sufficiently addressed by the NPRA and Nye Veier during the design and construction of this section of road.
The HGV driver did not notify the Traffic Control Centre (TCC) or anyone else after stopping outside the Torsbuås tunnel. Nor did any other road users report the stationary vehicle, and the TCC did not have access to CCTV or any other detection devices on the section of the E18 road in question. Consequently, the driver of the passenger car was not notified of the situation.
The investigation has shown that the passenger car driver’s perception of the situation in the moments before the accident was that an HGV had been abandoned on the hard shoulder, and that there was room to pass it in the right lane. The HGV driver was in the vehicle’s shadow, and close to the flatbed. From a distance, it may have been difficult for the passenger car driver to see that there was a person beside the HGV.
The investigation has also shown that the passenger car's adaptive cruise control and autosteer were activated at the time of the accident. These driver support systems were not designed to identify conflicts with people in the road or to apply emergency braking or avoidance manoeuvres automatically in this type of situation. NSIA is of the opinion that the driver might have been less involved in the driving process due to a combination of the use of driver support systems in the passenger car and the road design.
The section of road where the accident occurred was opened for traffic on 2 July 2019. During the planning phase, Nye Veier requested permission to reduce the shoulder width from 3.0 metres to 2.0 metres, with proposed mitigating measures. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration approved this solution, assuming that Nye Veier would implement the proposed mitigating measures on the section of road in question. However, Nye Veier chose not to establish incident detection or extra emergency lay-bys on this section of road.
In light of the road users' perception of the situation immediately before the accident, the insufficient hard shoulder width and the lack of emergency lay-bys, combined with the absence of notification, were the most important contributing factors to the accident. NSIA is also of the opinion that the road safety was not sufficiently addressed by the NPRA's deviation management and Nye Veier's construction of this section of road.
Scientific articles and data show a clear link between hard shoulder width and the number of traffic accidents, and a wider hard shoulder leads to fewer accidents. In light of this, the NSIA takes a critical view of allowing the hard shoulder width to be reduced in the road design norm N100. In order to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities and serious injuries, Vision Zero has to be the basis for investments in the road network, including expert feedback and political decisions. In NSIA's view, sufficient importance has not been attached to Vision Zero when the Ministry of Transport tasked the NPRA with conducting a study of narrow four-lane motorways, or in the content of the NPRA's study and accompanying recommendation. NSIA is of the opinion that the accident represents a case of conflicting goals, where financial aspects have been given priority over traffic safety.
The NSIA submits five safety recommendations addressed to organisations and authorities following this investigation. The NSIA would also like to highlight the following learning points for road users:
- In hazardous situations, such as vehicles stopped along a motorway, notify the Traffic Control Centre (VTS) by calling 175.
- When you observe a vehicle stopped along a motorway, increase your safety margins by passing in the left lane if possible.
- Even if you are using your car's driver support systems, it is your responsibility to be alert, drive safely and be in control of your vehicle at all times.
Published 11.08.2022
Safety recommendation
Safety recommendation Road No 2022/13T
The accident on 29 May 2020 occurred when the driver of a heavy gods vehicle (HGV) was hit by a passenger car on the E18 road near Arendal. The driver of the HGV died. The investigation has shown that the hard shoulder was not sufficiently wide to allow the whole HGV to be placed outside the roadway, and that it was therefore still partly in the right lane after stopping. The driver did not notify the Traffic Control Centre (TCC) by calling 175, nor had he notified anyone else that he had stopped on the side of the road. The driver still chose to exit the HGV to secure the lashings on the vehicle's left side, and he was standing in the roadway.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Truck Owners Association (NFL) prepare an information campaign aimed at professional drivers, focusing on notifying the TCC when stopping on high-speed motorways where it is not possible for the vehicle to leave the roadway completely.
Safety recommendation Road No 2022/14T
The accident on 29 May 2020 occurred when the driver of a heavy gods vehicle (HGV) was hit by a passenger car on the E18 road near Arendal. The driver of the HGV died. The investigation has shown that the hard shoulder was not sufficiently wide to allow the HGV to be placed outside the roadway completely, and that it was therefore partly in the right lane after stopping. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration approved the reduced hard shoulder width, assuming that Nye Veier would implement the proposed mitigating measures on the section of road in question. However, Nye Veier chose not to establish incident detection or extra emergency lay-bys on this section of road.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that Nye Veier AS implement mitigating measures to address road safety on the E18 road section between Tvedestrand and Arendal.
Safety recommendation Road No 2022/15T
The accident on 29 May 2020 occurred when the driver of a heavy gods vehicle (HGV) was hit by a passenger car on the E18 road near Arendal. The driver of the HGV died. The investigation has shown that the hard shoulder was not sufficiently wide to allow the HGV to be placed outside the roadway completely, and that it was therefore partly in the right lane after stopping. The section of road where the accident occurred was built with a reduced hard shoulder width. The road design standard N100 allows for reducing the hard shoulder width of narrow four-lane motorways, provided that mitigating measures are implemented, without requiring this to be processed as a deviation. There is no requirement for the client/road manager to document the mitigating measures and their risk-reducing effects.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Public Roads Administration amend the requirements in the road design norm N100, Road and street design, as regards the reduction of the hard shoulder width to include a requirement for documentation of the mitigating measures and their risk-reducing effects if narrow four-lane motorways are allowed.
Safety recommendation Road No 2022/16T
The accident on 29 May 2020 occurred when the driver of a heavy gods vehicle (HGV) was hit by a passenger car on the E18 road near Arendal. The driver of the HGV died. The investigation has shown that the hard shoulder was not sufficiently wide to allow the HGV to be placed outside the roadway completely, and that it was therefore partly in the right lane after stopping. The section of road where the accident occurred was built with a reduced hard shoulder width. The road design standard N100 allows for reducing the hard shoulder width of narrow four-lane motorways, provided that mitigating measures are implemented, without requiring this to be processed as a deviation. The road design norm N100 also does not define mitigating measures, nor does it describe the nature of such mitigating measures.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Norwegian Public Roads Administration prepare a technical guide for mitigating measures for planned narrow four-lane motorways.
Safety recommendation Road No 2022/17T
The accident on 29 May 2020 occurred when the driver of a heavy gods vehicle (HGV) was hit by a passenger car on the E18 road near Arendal. The driver of the HGV died. The investigation has shown that the hard shoulder was not sufficiently wide to allow the HGV to be placed outside the roadway completely, and that it was therefore partly in the right lane after stopping. The section of road where the accident occurred was built with a reduced hard shoulder width. The road design standard N100 allows for reducing the hard shoulder width of narrow four-lane motorways, provided that mitigating measures are implemented, without requiring this to be processed as a deviation.
The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority recommends that the Road Supervisory Authority, within its remit, work to ensure that the accident frequency and accident costs do not increase on planned narrow four-lane motorways, as stated in road design norm N100, Road and street design.
Facts
| Location | Torsbuåstunnelen, E18, Arendal, Agder |
| Occurrence date | 29.05.2020 |
| Accident type | Collision |
| Road class | European road |
| County | Agder |
| Police Disctrict | Agder |
| Vehicle type | Pedestrian, Passenger car, Truck and trailer |
| Type of Transportation | Freight transport, Private transport |
| Road region | Agder |
| Accident category | Ulykke m/ kjøretøy over 7500 kg |