Norway Compared to Europe. New Accident Data Shows Where It's Safest Today
There are more and more vehicles on Norwegian roads. At the same time, the number of accidents with injuries has steadily decreased up to 2025, according to data from Statistics Norway (SSB). In 2025, there were almost four times as many cars as in 1970, while the number of people killed or seriously injured dropped by 85 percent during that period.
Although the number of accidents is not at the level set in government targets, the number of victims has definitely decreased over the years.
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The peak of road accidents in Norway occurred around 1970. SSB indicates that since then, there has been a rapid decline in the number of incidents, even though the number of vehicles on the roads has increased significantly since 1950. Traffic is heavier today. Drivers also travel longer distances than before, with a brief natural drop in mileage during the coronavirus pandemic.
More Cars. Fewer Victims in Norway
Statistics show a clear change. The share of people killed or seriously injured per registered vehicle was highest in the earliest years of available data, starting from 1950. Then it began to decline. The fastest drop was seen from the 1950s to the 1980s.
After that period, the pace of change slowed. SSB points out that safety improved despite the increase in the number of cars and longer distances driven. Measures introduced since the 1970s may have contributed, including seat belts, lower speed limits, changes in infrastructure, and safer cars.
After that period, the pace of change slowed. SSB points out that safety improved despite the increase in the number of cars and longer distances driven. Measures introduced since the 1970s may have contributed, including seat belts, lower speed limits, changes in infrastructure, and safer cars.
Number of accident victims and cars in Norway from 1946 to 2025.Ill. SSB
Fewer Injured in Norway. Different Types of Road Incidents
The last 20 years have brought a further decline. In 2025, SSB reported 751 people killed or seriously injured in road accidents, which is 37.5 percent less than 20 years earlier. The number of fatalities was 106. The number of people slightly injured dropped from 9,455 in 2005 to 3,735 in 2025.
The biggest decrease concerned accidents in the same direction of travel. This category includes, among others, rear-end collisions, which fell from 2,684 incidents in 2005 to 734 in 2025. There were also fewer head-on collisions, intersection accidents, incidents involving pedestrians, and single-vehicle accidents. The highest number of people injured in accidents with bodily injuries was recorded in the 25-34 age group.
The biggest decrease concerned accidents in the same direction of travel. This category includes, among others, rear-end collisions, which fell from 2,684 incidents in 2005 to 734 in 2025. There were also fewer head-on collisions, intersection accidents, incidents involving pedestrians, and single-vehicle accidents. The highest number of people injured in accidents with bodily injuries was recorded in the 25-34 age group.
SSB data also includes comparisons with Europe. In 2023, Norway had 552 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, fewer than Finland but more than Sweden. In 2024, Norway had the lowest road fatality rate among the Nordic countries: 16 deaths per million inhabitants.
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