Report on road traffic accident involving a passenger car and a tractor with trailer on the FV 835 road in the Steigen tunnel in Hamarøy municipality on 15 May 2022

The accident site and the final positions of the vehicles. Photo: Police

On the afternoon of Sunday 15 May 2022, a tractor pulling a trailer loaded with gravel was heading eastward through the Steigen tunnel. After two or three km into the eight-km-long tunnel, one of the tyres on the trailer punctured. The tractor driver fastened the punctured tyre with straps and then continued to drive at low speed to reach the end of the tunnel. During the same period, a passenger car (Multivan) registered in the Czech Republic, with a driver and four passengers was heading eastward through the tunnel. About five km into the tunnel, the front right side of the passenger car collided with the left rear of the tractor's trailer. 

The four passengers in the car died at the scene. The driver of the car was seriously injured in the collision and does not remember anything about the sequence of events. The extent of injury was extensive because several of those involved were not wearing seatbelts, and one person was not secured while sitting on a built-up board in the back of the car. Loose objects in the passenger car also contributed to the extent of injury.

A lack of reliable information makes it difficult to draw a clear conclusion about the factors that contributed to the collision. The investigation has identified several significant shortcomings when it comes to safety. The tractor was moving slowly and the trailer lacked tail lights, the tunnel was dark and dimly lit, and the passenger car was probably travelling through the tunnel without high-beam headlights. These shortcomings may collectively have contributed to the accident occurring.
 
The investigation has shown that the lighting system in the Steigen tunnel was not in accordance with the Regulations relating to Tunnel Safety on County Roads etc. Nordland County Authority had planned to upgrade the tunnel by 2025. No compensatory physical or traffic-related measures had been implemented pending upgrading, and the tunnel was open to all road user groups. 

Based on the investigation, the NSIA submits one safety recommendation to Nordland County Authority and one to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. 

In addition, the NSIA would like to highlight the following learning points for road users:

•  Always use approved seats and seatbelts in the vehicle. Check that the seatbelts are correctly tightened.
• Always secure loose objects in the vehicle, because the forces resulting from moving objects can lead to extensive injuries in a collision.
• Always carry out a safety check, including of lighting and tyre equipment, before driving with a trailer.
• Show caution when driving in dark and dimly-lit tunnels, where there may be slow-moving vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians or animals.
• Use the high-beam headlights on the vehicle as much as possible when driving in dark and dimly-lit tunnels, if this does not pose a blinding hazard to other road users.

Published 16.11.2023