WARNING, this is NOT ENTIRELY correct. ANY interaction that is considered "distracting" is illegal, and you can and WILL be fined for using bluetooth speakers if it is considered imparing your driving, which it almost always is. I'm surprised so many people don't know this.
Norwegian here: I don't know who writes those articles about Norway, but they always seem to contain small amounts of inaccurate information or skip important details that could confuse tourists. So let me clarify some things: *Phones:* Talking on the phone is perfectly legal as long as you can do so without holding your phone. So using a Bluetooth connected hands-free system is a must. Both your hands need to be free to operate the vehicle safely. Texting is obviously an absolute NO-NO, and illegal no matter what. Police in Norway are VERY frequently looking out with binoculars and enforcing this, so ignoring this rule is not a good idea. The fine if caught: 10 200 kr (or about $970 USD)! *Drinking & Driving:* The fine you receive for driving under the influence is not a fixed value in Norway. They calculate this based on your income. The calculation is: Your income per month (before taxes) times 1.5. So for example: If you earn 500 000 kr (about $47,500 USD) per year, you'll be fined 62 500 kr (about $5,900 USD) per violation. If you cannot afford to pay the fine, the fallback is then jail. Depending on how much alcohol you we're affected by: They can also revoke your license and ban you from driving for a set period of time (Usually from a year up to two years). Norway also enforces a "reputation" system. So repeat offenders may loose their license for the rest of their life. This law applies EVERYWHERE, even on private roads and property. *Lights:* Most lights come on automatically when the engine is started (or turned on) on cars in Norway. If they don't: It usually means the car is an import. It is still the drivers responsibility to ensure the lights are on and working. Even on rental cars. Rental cars can also be import cars. So do check! One important note here that was not mentioned in the article: When the car is stationary and parked: You are supposed to switch the lights into "parking mode" or off. This is not often enforced by authorities, but can get you in trouble if you cause an accident by being sloppy with it. This is especially important during pitch-black nights, and in combination with the hazard lights, as it makes your car much more visible when the lights are used correctly. This is something Norwegians struggle with, and most people ignore or forget this. But it really can make a difference between life and death in the right conditions. *Tires* Norway enforces the principle of being "shod to the conditions". So if you drive on a mountain pass with summer tires, even if the roads are dry and the grass is growing on sea-level roads: You'll be fined if they catch you driving on unsuitable tires over the mountain passes. Norway has kind of special winter tires that have extra grip on the road conditions we experience during the winter. It's not normal for regular cars to use chains, but mandatory for trucks and big-rigs when the conditions call for it. Norway also have the all-year-round tires option. But not everyone (especially in the north) use them, as they perform worse than the proper tires do on snow and ice. *Parking Regulations* The article is correct in that most city parking isn't free. But the information about having to download an app isn't entirely correct. You don't HAVE to use an app in most places. Most parking spaces have an automated payment station that can take both cash and Visa/Mastercard payments that will print a receipt for you, to place in your cars window to present proof of payment. This might of course change in the future, as Norway is definitely getting more and more digitized. Also note that in many cities: Parking becomes free during the night and on Sundays. On city parking spaces: There is often a "P"-sign placed next to it, with times posted on a sign right underneath it. This doesn't mean parking is only allowed during these hours, but rather that a fee is enforced during those hours. Outside those hours, parking is still legal, but with the added bonus that it's free. *Speed Limits & Speeding* In Norway: We have two "national speed limits". These are the defaults and enforced when there is no signage, or the speed limit is crossed out. These are 80 km/h in rural areas, and 50 km/h in the cities or township areas. In intersections leading into neighborhoods; there are usually speed limit signs of 30 with the word "Sone" written above it. This means the whole neighborhood has a speed limit of 30, regardless of intersections and sideroads. Until it's crossed out with the same sign crossed with 4 diagonal lines. The highways are usually 110 or 100, not 80 as stated in the article. We do have highways with speed limits of 80, but it's definitely not the norm. Highways are also not common in the north, you'll usually find them no further north than a few miles north of Trondheim. The rural roads are usually 80, sometimes 90. Also an important note: Even if the speed limit is 80: That doesn't always mean it's the safe speed to go. Traffic schools and authorities are more fixated on the principle of safe speed, not speed limits. They drill this sentence into you during the training at traffic schools: "The speed limit is not always the safe speed". I still hear the echoes of my driving instructor hammering this sentence in, even though it's been 10 years since I got my license. You have to drive according to the conditions. And authorities do actually enforce this. If you get into an accident going too fast in poor conditions: They will fine you if investigations show you we're going too fast. The fines described in the article are a little outdated. It's actually increased quite a bit since then. It's now between kr 850 - kr 11 300 (or $80 USD - $1,075 USD) depending on how much over the limit you were, and other factors. *Priority Roads* Stop signs are exceedingly rare in Norway. In-fact: It's so rare that my local city newspaper wrote an article about it when a temporary stop sign was placed in my local city during road construction. The article reminded people on how they work, since most drivers will never encounter one for decades. Stop signs in Norway are usually used in conjunction with priority roads. You will never encounter a 4-way stop intersection like the ones common in America. Norway usually use a yield sign instead, or no sign at all if it's a non-priority road. One extra tidbit is that the yield-from-right rule does not apply if it's a private road or a parking lot. In those cases: The public road has priority. So how do you know if it's a public road, you might ask? Public roads are named, and the road will have a sign with the roads name by the intersection. If there is no such sign: It usually means it's a private road. Oh, and one last important note: After you've made a left or a right turn of an intersection: Don't assume you're still on a priority road if you don't see the crossed out diamond. They will not use the crossed out diamond after intersections. You just have to assume you're not on a priority road anymore unless you see the diamond again after turning onto the new road. The crossed out diamond is not often used, but when they do: It's usually on a side-road in the middle of nowhere. This is often because you've reached a part of the road that doesn't justify being a priority road anymore because traffic on the section you've reached is simply too little. *Let others pass you* It's technically a rule in Norway, but not enforced. This is something I wish was enforced more. I've seen some driving that could be considered weaponized incompetence. Sorry about the wall of text. I couldn't help myself 🙃
In addition, the "no stopping" sign is typically used for stretches of road that can be dangerous to stop on the side of, f.ex. tunnels or places that would hinder traffic like a narrow road making it hard/impossible to pass etc. Not to just "keep traffic moving".. Ofcourse emergency stops because your car breaks down or something acute makes you unable to drive etc, I don't think you would get any trouble for it, as long as its a legit emergency, and (if possible) you try your best to stop as safely an unobstructively as you can, and put out the warning triangle properly (which is mandatory to have in the car at all times, along with a high visibility vest within hands reach of the driver) (I'm saying this assuming that everyone knows you can't just stop your car in the middle of the road for no reason, or is this something americans do?) No parking is often used in city streets.. it does allow for a short stop to drop off/pick up a passenger or goods (atleast of a certain size/amount, f.ex. picking up a couch or tv is fine, but if its just a letter or small package, you have to park somewhere proper), and although there is no set time limit, the stop must be "as short as possible" so no dilly-dallying
There is no such thing as "all-year"-tyres. We have summer tyres, and winter tyres, period! And there are two types of winter tyres; studded. and non-studded . The latter is not illegal during summer, but not smart at all to drive in the summer. The much softer rubber is made for cold weather, and will wear down much faster than the stiffer summer tyres, and increase the braking lenght, especially when it`s wet.. Studded tyres are , of course, illegal to use in the summer.
I am so grateful for this, in Norway only 95 people died in traffic in 2020. In the USA, 42,600 people died in traffic, this is 0.001% of the population in Norway and 0.013 in the USA. And 620 people were injured in Norway and 5,000,000 so in Norway 0.011% were seriously injured and in the USA a full 1.5% were seriously injured. So grateful that my children are growing up in Norway.
This is very true. Too many families in USA are affected by car accidents during their life time. It's so tragic losing a loved one to a drunk driver when different alcohol laws could have saved most of them. An alcohol limit of 0.08 is way too high for safe driving. It's been tested many times how alcohol is affecting your awareness and response time at 0.08 alcohol percent.
Ye, in a country where "winter" means several months where you shold expect a road covered in a sheath of ice, its kind of important to have tires that won't send you flying off the road at the first turn 😂
@dn3087 It would also help if more people learned that the gas pedal isn't an on/off switch. But of course, they should also use tires with softer rubber and tire patterns intended for snow. I lived in Pittsburgh PA for 1,5 years about 30 years ago, and I think the traffic problems when the snow came was about equal parts poor tires and poor driving skills.
"Painfully slow" you say. Funny people say that, but all the tourist here by the west coast and along the fjords usually drive as slow as 50km/h (30mph) in the 80(50mph) zone. It's usually a nightmare for the locals in the summer, we joke every time someone holds up traffic that its probably a tourist. Away from the big cities our highways are usually just one lane each direction, and the roads follow the landscapes. So we have a lot of curves and even getting your car up to 120km/h(75mph) can be challenging and very irresponsible. We drive on the right side just like in the US.
@@runeingebretsen8378 No i wouldnt think so. I was only pointing out the differences in road signs. The basic traffic rules are much the same though. Most americans ive met in Norway has been able to drive safely.
When I visited USA, I found the amount of text on the signs insane. Like, with that amount to read, you should drive super slow to get time to read all that
So, there is a mistranslation here. What they have called highways are really just the main roads, while what they call dual carriageways and motorways are what are known as highways in the US. On the dual carriageways/motorways/highways the speed limit will vary between 80-110km/h or 50-70mph roughly. You also won't necessarily always see speedlimit signs, as there are default speedlimits. If there are no signs then the speedlimit is 80km/h(50mph) outside of a town/built up area, and 50km/h(30mph) in a town/built up area. If there are signs then these apply regardless, of course. We don't use stop signs much, unless it's a dangerous intersection with poor visibility. We will use the right hand rule, as described in the post, and yield signs. Near me I can only think of 2 stop signs, and both are about an hour's drive away from me. Similarly, we don't use as many traffic lights as the US, we use roundabouts where possible. Norway follows the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and the Convention on Road signs and signals. These have been adopted by pretty much all of Europe in order to standardise how traffic works so that if you go from one country to another you will still be largely familiar with the traffic rules and signs. Other countries do also follow these conventions somewhat, even if they haven't signed and ratified them, like Japan. Though in those cases there will be bigger differences, but things will still be largely familiar. Driving instruction is also a lot more comprehensive in Norway compared with the US. There are a certain number of mandatory classes to learn the traffic rules and the signs, and you will have to pass a test on this. There are also mandatory lessons with a certified driving instructor plus a mandatory practical driving exam, you cannot just be taught by your parents. Though you can practice with your parents generally, or others that have had a driver's licence for at least 10 consecutive years. There is also a mandatory lesson on driving on slippery conditions, like icy roads. This does make a driver's licence more expensive than elsewhere, but you should also be a better driver for it. Note: This is for the driver's licence for a car under 3.5 tonnes, for larger vehicles other rules apply and different lessons and tests are required While people are legally required to pull over and let those behind them pass, if you are driving slower than the speedlimit, in practice people generally don't do this. Farmers are more likely to do it since tractors are usually much slower than cars.
This is also to make sure no one waits too long to turn on the lights, because there is always someone who just keeps going even when it's painfully obvious it's become too dark to drive without lights on
It's so much more than that. You don't know how much more visible cars are when they have their lights on in daytime, until they don't use them. Germany, for example, don't have mandatory low-beams, and it's so much harder to see oncoming traffic. There's no drawbacks to low-beams, so it blows my mind this is not mandatory everywhere.
Earlier, all imported cars were modified so the lights turned on automatically when you started the car, but since they stopped this practice, many no longer have the lights on when driving, even though is't illegal.
While the concept is good, sadly: Few people actually care to use their lights correctly in Norway. Most lights are just always on, as long as the engine is running (or "on" if electric). Even when parked. Because people are gonna people, and forget about it. That being said though: I do see the occasional import car without this automatic feature. Meeting someone driving without lights often startles me, since I didn't expect the car to be moving. It really makes a difference! And imho it should be mandatory everywhere.
The death rate per 100,000 citizens from car accidents in the US is 12.34, compared to 2.19 in Norway. So yes, there is a significant difference in road safety between the two countries.
80 km / hour is absolutely appropriate for the geography. 80 km/h is not slow considering how narrow and windy those roads are. You simply cannot drive anything like 120 km/ hour through those twists and turns.
00:54 Manually holding and operating a mobile phone while driving is prohibited. If you have your phone on speakerphone or connected to the handsfree system of the car, then you can talk as much as you want.
We here in Sweden must have our lights on all the time once I was blinded by the sun but I saw the other car coz the lights from the car is diffrent from the sunlight it Save my life
That's a good side effect from that law. I think the main is to easily see if a car is driving or parked. But being able to more easily see cars while blinded is a noce bonus
@@olenilsen4660 That's not the main reason given here in Norway at least. It's for others to easily see if you are Parked or driving. Meaning being blinded and seeing car lights is a nice extra not the main intent of the law. I don't know about you but I have only been blinded once since I got my Licence and I live above the arctic circle. Meaning our sun that never sets in summers is VERY low.
Sweden (and Norway) have the priority roads thing. If you're going on a priority road with loads of visibility, there's no reason for a full stop at a stop sign. That's why we have roads where you only need to stop if someone comes, you don't have to stop otherwise. If there's a stop sign, you have to stop no matter what, but the constant stopping and starting of vehicles are less nice towards the environment.
Just want to add that the usage of yield signs instead of stop signs have nothing to do with the environment, even though it would be true. It´s all about letting traffic flow as much as possible, which is the purpose of most traffic laws.
Swede here...but surely the same rule in Norway...you must not turn right at a traffic light that is red. It is allowed in the US if I remember correctly.
Very similar traffic rules apply everywhere in Europe/EU. In Germany, not all Americans are allowed to drive a vehicle. There is an agreement between the United States and Germany on this subject. This means that only US citizens whose state requires qualified driver training are allowed to drive in Germany. Only citizens of 24 US states are allowed to drive in Germany. All others must take a driving test in Germany. But I think it would make more sense if all Americans had to take a driving test beforehand, because all Americans are lousy drivers compared to Europeans. Supplement: American teenagers under the age of 18 are not allowed to drive in Germany a car under any circumstances, even if they have a valid U.S. driver's license!!
Mythbusters proved by experiments that driving while on the phone, bluetooth or not, is just as impairing as driving under heavy alcohol influence. So for us it's kind of insane that more don't have the law.
Phone: Talking on the phone when driving means reaching for your phone when someone is driving. That is dangerous as you look away from the road to find the phone while driving. A bluetooth speaker and now you can be on a call without endangering those around you. Drinking and driving: Just no. So much safer to not drink and drive. Lights: We have more country roads than highway roads, those roads you can be alone on and having lights on means you notice another car driving towards you as you see their lights. Also random animals like deer, sheep etc so having lights means it less likely you miss them. Or they run away from the car sooner. Also Norway gets darker fast, so at 5pm it can be darker then you realize then at 8pm it can be pitch black, depending on what season it is so lights is a must. Winter tires: Yes it is a must, there are roads you cannot drive on properly cause you slip either summer tire, winter is a real thing in norway. Speed: The point is norway isnt flat so we need to work with the mountain roads, fjords, so we can’t get speed up without endangering those around you and yourself. Highway is the only time your speed is okay as it is flat and has good visibility. Most Norwegian roads don’t always have that visibility as there is a mountain in your way and you cant see cars driving towards you until they are on top of you
WARNING, this is NOT ENTIRELY correct. ANY interaction that is considered "distracting" is illegal, and you can and WILL be fined for using bluetooth speakers if it is considered imparing your driving, which it almost always is. I'm surprised so many people don't know this.
We drive on the right side like you in the US. You can use your phone if you have a Bluetooth earpiece or your you can connect thru the car entertainment system. But you can't hold your phone while driving. And about the light, I have a BMW like must other car here in Norway that has a auto mode on the lights. So my main light are off on the daytime, but my Angel eye as they are named are on, and if I park but the car is on they will dim down. And when it starts to get dark then main lights will come on.
Sweden has the same rules when it comes to using your mobile phone while driving, you can talk on the phone if you use hands-free call, but you can not hold your phone, both hands should be on the steering wheel. The alcohol limit is also the same. Also when it comes to headlights you must have them on at all times, Sweden was the first country to introduce this law and accidents went down. Winter and summer tires are also the same. Both Sweden and Norway are pretty cold during the winter and can have a lot of snow, so you need special tires for that. The street signs are the same in all countries outside of North America. The speed limits in Sweden are generally higher than in Norway, where the top speed on a highway can go up to 120 km/h (iabout 75 mph). We don't have the speed limit crossed out, instead, we'll have a new sign telling you about the new speed limit. Our speed limit signs also have a yellow background instead of a white but other than that they look the same. All the other rules are the same.
One very important difference is that in Norway, you can never drive on red light whereas in the US, you can drive on red if you're turning right. In Norway, there will be an arrow light informing you whether you can drive or not. I have been told that you should never turn left in America unless you have a death wish.
18:05 Generally speaking, there is no set amount of cars that have to be behind you before you should let them pass you by, my family used to have a general rule of thumb that if there were 3 cars or more behind us, then we would let them pass us by, but this was just a family rule not an official rule. 18:54 You don't have to pull over, generally speaking, as long as there is room for it to be done, simply using your right indicator/blinker while slowing down and driving closer to the road shoulder should be more than enough. You want to give those behind you a clear sign that you are letting them pass you by, and doing those steps will usually always work.
It used to be 0.05% in Norway, the change to 0.02% came sometime in the late 90s I believe. With 0.05% most people could have one or maybe two beers, but that often lead to people who "felt fine, I can have another" - now as the text says: Rule of tumb is no driving if you had alcohol. There's still driving under the influence though, but either people who didn't wait long enough, or people who drive under the influence of drugs.
in norway we have 2 set of rims for each car, one set of rims with summer tyres and one with winter tyres, and the rule says you gotta use correct tyres for the condition, so if it randomly starts snowing in may and the snow lay itself on the ground and stick it means you're not allowed to drive with summer tyres.
I live in Málaga southern Spain here you can use your phone in your car as long as you use hands free. Texting whilst driving is banned here too.Why are you so surprised about the drink drive laws are that strict. If you intend to drive you should not drink for obvious reasons.
@15:38 Stop signs are reserved for dangerous intersections. most intersections will use yield signs for the roads that are not designated priority. The basic rule is right before left at intersections unless otherwise indicated with the diamond sign or a yield sign.
Stop signs are kept to a minimum in Norway (I think we have two digit amount of stop signs in the whole of Norway) due to drivers not respecting them if there are too many of them. Thus, we operate with yielding much more.
Main reasons for the types of traffic-rules is the climate in Norway. Example; Using High-beams during Winter in a country that stretches into the Artic Pole can be quite dangerous to oncoming traffic. We're instructed to always use Low-beams if we share the road, it makes you visible to other drivers. We only use the High-beams for road visibility if we're alone, private or off-road. Winter tyres(or tires if you will) have grooves and often patterns in an arrow shape to plow the mud & snow away from the tracks aswell as give traction to a icy surface. Summer tyres are made for wet surfaces and has four/five lines going all the way around it with small cuts in the pattern for water dispersion & avoiding hydroplaning. If you've seen videos of Texans getting snow and driving I think you'd agree we need a set for each season ^^
You can touch your phone to answer a phone call ONLY if it's mounted securely in a holder. Or if it's connected via bluetooth. So yes, you can talk on your phone.
The speed limit may be 80km/h, but tourists often drive slower, because there is so much to see. Everywhere. Apparently. It's just forests, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, snow capped mountains, houses with grass on the roof, cows, sheep, horses, or the occasional moose or deer etc.
Remember that what's called highways in western Norway is not real highways. It's usually normal width roads with 2 lanes (1 in each direction). These highways have a lot of curves due to the terrain (following fjords, valleys etc) Normal highways with wide 2 lane roads like in eastern Norway have 90 km/h which is 56 mph. These have fewer curves since the terrain is more open and flat.. Freeways with 4 lanes or more usually have 100 km/h (63 mph) and some even have 110 km/h (68 mph). Our Parliament has approved trying out 120 km/h (75mph) on a few selected freeways. However, the trials haven't started yet.
there is also a opposite sign to the priority road sign. Its a red and white upside down triangle and means you have to give way from both left and right. usually found when going on or crossing a priority road, and before every roundabout. (when in a roundabout you have priority).
12:07 Speeding Tickets seem to vary between 1100 NOK to 15,100 NOK, you could also lose your license if you drive too much over the speed limit, this would also mean losing all your driver's licenses, so no driving a truck, moped, scooter, motorcycle if you lose your license for driving too fast in a car, for instance.
07:44 You skipped the next part. Parking at Shopping Malls vary from shopping mall to shopping mall, some have free parking with no time-limits, others have free parking for 1 hour, others still have it for 2 hours, then there might be some shopping malls that have varied time-limits depending on the parking area - like shorter time-limits the closer to the entrance you park, etc. or if you use underground/closed-area parking areas. While it is true that most places you park do have a digital (App) payment option available, as far as I am aware, all places still has a physical pay with your card option available, too. We used to have cash options, but I don't think there are any such options anymore anywhere in Norway.
1:06 what are you talking about? 3:12 are you sure? In Canada it’s like 0.04 7:06 you’re in California you don’t count 9:04 you do! It’s an S or black octagon instead of a P 13:07 yes you do in United States you have signs when you come off of an exit or into a township that says “50 mph unless unless otherwise posted” 14:53 actually this is the case in the US. If you come at the same time. Minus the yellow diamond sign. 15:57 it literally just said 19:24 yes you do ._.
The parking sign with the single line through on a blue background actually means no parking, unless for unloading goods or waiting for passengers to enter or exit the vehicle. Many drivers try their luck, but you'll might get a ticket. Around 50 to 60 dollars. The parking sign with double lines, or cross, means no parking whatsoever. But you can stop if the traffic has stopped, naturally.
You say wow, I cant drink alcohol at all while driving, wtf do want to drink and drive. Dont ever drink and drive. Please. You gonna hurt someone and end in jail.
The problem with allowing some drinking and driving is that you lose the social pressure. If you see someone having a beer at a bar and you know they're driving, then you know that they're drinking and driving. But you're not counting how many beers they have, so if it's ok to have a couple, then you're basically leaving it up to the driver to self-assess. That's a bad idea with alcohol, because everyone gets really smart when they drink.
@@realoadin Yes. There's also another thing people don't know. Like my father got rear-ended on his way home from work. He was perfectly innocent. But he drinks every day from 1930 to 2300. He's extremely serious about never ever having blood alcohol while driving. But after a traffic incident, you are not allowed to drink any alcohol for 24 hours. So the cops came to his house at 1935 that night and he had started drinking wine. But they were called away on something urgent. The cop just said something that would translate to «now you were really god damn fucking lucky». :)
@@jeschinstadlucky😂. If we crash and are drunk/high insurance do not help you, same if you are driving a car without approved license and crash, well debt slave😂. If you crash while drunk and killed a guy, 6 years prison. And you have to pay the family a ton, plus debt for all the damage with the cars.
3 месяца назад+2
3:30 in Czechia and Slovakia and I believe in Poland too we have zero tolerance for driving and drinking, 0,00% alc. And it's punished quite a lot.
It's in principle the same in Norway, except that 0‰ gives too many false positives, so the 0,02% gives a margin for error. If you have a non-zero value, they may keep for a while and take another test so seem if it's coming up or down. If it's going up, they can hold you until it stops climbing.
The no chains on tyres for passenger cars is false. However, there are very few situations where you need them. They are reserved for especially challenging/dangerous winter roads (with snow). If it is a really challenging snowy road and you see a sign to put on chains on the tyres, it might not be such a bad idea to do so
Lights in the middle of the day makes it a lot easier to spot a car even at day if it comes from your blind zone, also it get quickly dark in Norway at least in the winter time
People tend to forget that allot of places in Norway. Driving is like driving on a roller coaster without rails. You cant be tipsy when it risks driving off the road means you drive off a cliff or into a fjord and so on. If you drive a small European car and hit a large moose. The moose is probably the same size as your car... That is why hitting them can be very dangerous. The moos is obviously standing on its legs so its whole body can go into your car and land on top of you at 80kmh. A death sentence.
In Sweden the laws regarding driving is mostly the same as in Norway, except we don't have the crossed over speed limit signs, we just put up another speed limit sign when you exit a town, showing the new speed limit.
In the Faroes, where I live, which is also a Scandinavian country. If there is anything in the car, that stops you from concentrating fully on driving, you will get a ticket. For example, anything that stops you from using two hands while driving. You can use one hand to steer the wheel and the other to push a button in the car, as long that doesn’t take away your concentration for more then a second. The weather conditions, in northern hemisphere of Scandinavia, can change really quickly, and it’s really important for other drivers to know if there is a car coming towards you, by having you headlights on at all times.
Very few countries in the world actually drive on the left side of the road, compared to the right. It's the UK, australia, southern asia and southern africa, and japan. That's about it.
@@andreasfischer9158 The number is not so small after all. Of 193 Nations recognised by the UN, 54 drive on the left hand. They are a lot of people in the world, if you consider India is one of them.
Regarding mobile phones in car, the driver can use the phone if they have some sort of hands free setup. So like a Bluetooth headset, aftermarket installed system or factory integrated in the car sound system. You can receive calls, but only make calls if they're pre programmed or through a speech recognition system. You can't text, manually enter a phone number or look a number up in your contacts while driving, in other words nothing that isn't covered by the hands free set. The police uses binoculars and other equipment to see if someone holds the phone while driving, that's enough for a ticket. Regarding the ticket sizes, that actually seems low, as the limits were "recently" increased beyond that range mentioned. There's currently a Supreme Court case where the police want to take the vehicle used in an aggressively speeding case (200+ in a 100km/h zone). This was done during an illegal street racing incident, where many people blocked the on ramps to a motorway section for the perpetrators. This is mimicking a Danish law that allows the police to seize the vehicle used aggressively speeding (very simplified, something like 2x the posted speed limits).
In belgium it is 0.05 but 0.02 for new drivers and truck/bus drivers. Talking on a mobile while driving is only allowed with dedicated handsfree setups (so no pickups and seat talks). And having a call while driving is highly discouraged if not yet illegal.
you can pass other cars in the oncoming lane if there are not 2 lanes connected or long split lanes on the side of your lane, but you must always double check if there is a clear oncoming lane, tlake on fone in handsfre is ok and higest speed is 110 km/t so 68 m/h
You have to use lights all the time on cars, because the sun can be low on the horizon so you can't really see cars coming towards you, if they don't have lights. And in the winter time half of Norway is dark during the day as well as nights.
You can talk on hardsfree setup. but your not allowed to look at screen to make a call or sendt text etc. But some intergrated systems in cars are allowed and mounted phones can be "used" to make recive calls.
Some parts of the E6 now has 110 Km/h, most are usually by 80-90 km/h And one of the main key reasons why 80km/h is the default "max".... (we all drive usually faster if we know the road) ...is because of "Frost Heaving", as in the ground gets pushed up when its cold and makes usually fllat roads have multiple speed bumps appear over night. And when it gets warmer, or the bumps gets pushed down, they will become small dents in the road which driving into even at 60 km/h unknowingly can be extremely dangerous.
If you want to learn more about why the road signs are different, you could watch Half as Interesting's video about it. Then upload you reaction to this channel or the UK channel.
No parking can be used infront of a hostital entrance to allow ppl to get in\out of the car\bus etc. but you have 5-10 min to do so. IF they change it to no stopping you can't stop and let someone off\on then you must find a other place to do so. This is often used in abulance offload. infront of a firehouse\hostpital to make sure that the road is clear for emergancy. or infront of emergancy exit from buildings etc.
Officially the rules does not specify that you need specific tyres for the season or circumstance. It does say that you need to ensure enough traction for the circumstance. In practice and by presedence it means winter tyres in winter, either studed or other types. Winter tyres in summer is less important, but you can get faulted if to u use them wrongly after accident. Most of those roadsigns are pretty much standard for Europe , with some local variation. Stop signs exists but are rare. I think i know 1 in my city, and one outside, but i think that one got removed and replaced by a yield sign.
Studies have shown that being on a hand held phone while driving is as bad as drunk driving with quite a high blood alcohol content. The headlight thing is very obvious when you see the difference one after another. It's also much easier to see if a car is in operation or if it's just parked.
Most of the toll roads are auto tolls, you get a letter to pay in the mail. Some gas stations have this implementation, Every road with a crossroads with a white street sign without theyellow diamon means you have to yield, we have stopped sign for parts prone to accidents.
We don't have many stop signs in Norway, but we have the softer "yield" sign all over (inverted white triangle with red border). It means basically the same as a stop sign, except you're not actually required to stop or even slow down any more than visibility of the intersection demands. If you can see it's clear, you can just go. If you're on a priority road, any incoming traffic WILL have at least a yield sign, if not a full on stop sign. So basically, the yellow diamond is just there to inform you of that fact. And yes, we have default speed limits of 50 km/h in urban environments and 80 in the countryside. Saves a bit on signage or something. The alcohol blood limit was reduced from 0.05% to 0.02% in 2001. I was too young to follow the debate, but I assume people were going "I can have one beer and still drive" and the government wanted none of that. Is my guess. And we are definitely allowed to go into the oncoming lane to pass slower drivers. Whenever the road is straight enough. My dad has told me that 30 years ago, there would be a single stretch of road long enough to pass a heavy transport on the hour plus drive from Oslo to the Swedish border along E18 (assuming no cars were coming the other way). That road has fortunately gotten upgrades since then, but plenty of other roads are still no better.
hearing you say that 80 km/h (50mph) is slow, and all i think think is "good luck even getting up to 80, or higher on most roads, especially as a non local driver!" as most roads are to windy, narrow or bad to even get up to that speed unless you know it like your own pocket
Laws changed. We have to have light on at all times yes, but. We can use fog lights as driving lights. The law about tires, is 3.6mm minimum groove as winter tires and 1.6 mm summer. But if you use a summertire with 3.6mm summertire at winter and hit someone you most likely will get the blame.
About speed limits; in Norway we have something called general or generalised speed limits. There's 50 km and 80 km. 50 is for populated areas and 80 is for less poputalted areas. The rule is that if there are no signs to the contrary, the speed limit is either 50 or 80; depending on the area you are in.
It's also illegal to not let someone pass you if you're driving slowly, not just "assumed". Bikers etc. who is severely below the traffic flow speed are supposed to get off the road and let anyone pass. Another law that many, including Norwegian, seems to forget.
15:12 Yep, it is. It is also one of the biggest reasons why my American dad does not feel comfortable at all with driving in Norway, because he never could get used to having to often yield for anyone coming from his right when driving on non-priority roads.
A couple of elaborations. Mobile phones. You can talk on the phone if using a bluetooth handsfree system, and the phone must stay in a pocket or a fixed holder. If you're caught talking on a handheld phone the fine is over 11000 NOK / 1000 USD. The lights. The use of low beams or Daylight running lights (DRL) are mandatory. We're driving on the right side of the road. Generally traffic fines are very high.
11:16 This portion should be "100 or 110km/h," 90km/h is usual everywhere in Norway where the motorways are designed for such, but it's not everywhere that you find speed limits of 100 to 110km/h.
Traffic flows better when main roads have the right of way, and is the main reason for priority roads. As much as possible traffic lights are avoided and roundabouts and priority is used instead.
What are you on about? That sign would be red with a horizontal white line... This one was blue with a red cross and border, which IS the "No stopping" sign.
My last car had Bluetooth on the stereo, so it was easy to use it as 'handsfree'. Then you can talk on your phone. Or any other means of handsfree. But absolutely no texting, and driving.
The car lights shouldn't be an issue. Unless the car is very old (say, from the 1970s or earlier), the lights will automatically be on when the engine is running.
When you're especially in areas with a crossed out (grayed out) speed sign, you either drive 50 km/t in urban areas or 80 km/t in rural areas. ALWAYS remember to drive based on road conditions. This is why you don't have to drive 80 km/t if it isn't safe.
It's a legal to do it in Canada too.Except for if it's hands free through your car. In Canada, as far as driving goes depending where you live.There are some provinces where you must have winter tires in the winter or all seasons.They used to say but now I don't think that's true.I think it's just winter. And you want the winter tires anyways, if you want to stay off the ditch.
In Europe normally every type of road/environment normally (urban/non-urban/highway) have a default speed so if there are no explicit speed limit you are on the one for the type, and it sound like that is 80 km/h for non-urban in Norway. In Germany they are 50/100/no-limit but the latest with 130 as recommended highest speed (if you get in an accident driving over 130 the burden of proof is reversed), in Sweden 50/70/110
it look as a lot of your info is "old" you can get speeding tickets up to 15200NOK. the fines for drunk driving is 1.5 times your monthly salary before tax. they have made most intersection to roundabout's or T section's.
About the speed.. Its seems this is a bit old. but we have more highways being buit for 110km\h or 69mp\h(ish) and become more common.. but we also have alot of roads that have alot of turns (picture Cars movie in the town more swings and up\down hill. ) when they show they build new highway witch plows trough the landscape. we also have alot of 1x1 lane highways thats more the 70-80km\h because there is no barrier between directions. now that they invest and make new once. they are typical 2x2 (closer to oslo they have from 2x2 to 4x4) with a ditch and saftey rails. The need has changed, but also where there is 60/70/80 km\h you dont really wanna go in 110km\h because the bends will be comming to quick and some places the roads gets very small due to a mountian or a cliffside that is taking up the space for a propper 1x1 and we will have 0.7x 0.7.. So there is just the space for 2 semi to meet. some places is just 1x0 and you need to wait your turn. They fix alot of this with tunnels.. You grew up with 70mp\h we grew up with 80 and then we got 100 and now 110 (on some parts of the road) I guess you will find the same north in america some places and in canada.
You can talk on the phone while driving if you have a bluetooth speaker connected to the phone in your car.
The rules are the same in several US states
Yeh, you need a handsfree option
The same in Australia.
Anyone who knows how the rules are if you put the phone on "spealer" and put it down?? Here in Norway.
WARNING, this is NOT ENTIRELY correct. ANY interaction that is considered "distracting" is illegal, and you can and WILL be fined for using bluetooth speakers if it is considered imparing your driving, which it almost always is. I'm surprised so many people don't know this.
Norwegian here: I don't know who writes those articles about Norway, but they always seem to contain small amounts of inaccurate information or skip important details that could confuse tourists. So let me clarify some things:
*Phones:*
Talking on the phone is perfectly legal as long as you can do so without holding your phone. So using a Bluetooth connected hands-free system is a must. Both your hands need to be free to operate the vehicle safely. Texting is obviously an absolute NO-NO, and illegal no matter what. Police in Norway are VERY frequently looking out with binoculars and enforcing this, so ignoring this rule is not a good idea. The fine if caught: 10 200 kr (or about $970 USD)!
*Drinking & Driving:*
The fine you receive for driving under the influence is not a fixed value in Norway. They calculate this based on your income. The calculation is: Your income per month (before taxes) times 1.5. So for example: If you earn 500 000 kr (about $47,500 USD) per year, you'll be fined 62 500 kr (about $5,900 USD) per violation. If you cannot afford to pay the fine, the fallback is then jail. Depending on how much alcohol you we're affected by: They can also revoke your license and ban you from driving for a set period of time (Usually from a year up to two years). Norway also enforces a "reputation" system. So repeat offenders may loose their license for the rest of their life. This law applies EVERYWHERE, even on private roads and property.
*Lights:*
Most lights come on automatically when the engine is started (or turned on) on cars in Norway. If they don't: It usually means the car is an import. It is still the drivers responsibility to ensure the lights are on and working. Even on rental cars. Rental cars can also be import cars. So do check!
One important note here that was not mentioned in the article: When the car is stationary and parked: You are supposed to switch the lights into "parking mode" or off. This is not often enforced by authorities, but can get you in trouble if you cause an accident by being sloppy with it. This is especially important during pitch-black nights, and in combination with the hazard lights, as it makes your car much more visible when the lights are used correctly. This is something Norwegians struggle with, and most people ignore or forget this. But it really can make a difference between life and death in the right conditions.
*Tires*
Norway enforces the principle of being "shod to the conditions". So if you drive on a mountain pass with summer tires, even if the roads are dry and the grass is growing on sea-level roads: You'll be fined if they catch you driving on unsuitable tires over the mountain passes.
Norway has kind of special winter tires that have extra grip on the road conditions we experience during the winter. It's not normal for regular cars to use chains, but mandatory for trucks and big-rigs when the conditions call for it. Norway also have the all-year-round tires option. But not everyone (especially in the north) use them, as they perform worse than the proper tires do on snow and ice.
*Parking Regulations*
The article is correct in that most city parking isn't free. But the information about having to download an app isn't entirely correct. You don't HAVE to use an app in most places. Most parking spaces have an automated payment station that can take both cash and Visa/Mastercard payments that will print a receipt for you, to place in your cars window to present proof of payment. This might of course change in the future, as Norway is definitely getting more and more digitized.
Also note that in many cities: Parking becomes free during the night and on Sundays.
On city parking spaces: There is often a "P"-sign placed next to it, with times posted on a sign right underneath it. This doesn't mean parking is only allowed during these hours, but rather that a fee is enforced during those hours. Outside those hours, parking is still legal, but with the added bonus that it's free.
*Speed Limits & Speeding*
In Norway: We have two "national speed limits". These are the defaults and enforced when there is no signage, or the speed limit is crossed out. These are 80 km/h in rural areas, and 50 km/h in the cities or township areas. In intersections leading into neighborhoods; there are usually speed limit signs of 30 with the word "Sone" written above it. This means the whole neighborhood has a speed limit of 30, regardless of intersections and sideroads. Until it's crossed out with the same sign crossed with 4 diagonal lines.
The highways are usually 110 or 100, not 80 as stated in the article. We do have highways with speed limits of 80, but it's definitely not the norm. Highways are also not common in the north, you'll usually find them no further north than a few miles north of Trondheim. The rural roads are usually 80, sometimes 90.
Also an important note: Even if the speed limit is 80: That doesn't always mean it's the safe speed to go. Traffic schools and authorities are more fixated on the principle of safe speed, not speed limits. They drill this sentence into you during the training at traffic schools: "The speed limit is not always the safe speed". I still hear the echoes of my driving instructor hammering this sentence in, even though it's been 10 years since I got my license. You have to drive according to the conditions. And authorities do actually enforce this. If you get into an accident going too fast in poor conditions: They will fine you if investigations show you we're going too fast.
The fines described in the article are a little outdated. It's actually increased quite a bit since then. It's now between kr 850 - kr 11 300 (or $80 USD - $1,075 USD) depending on how much over the limit you were, and other factors.
*Priority Roads*
Stop signs are exceedingly rare in Norway. In-fact: It's so rare that my local city newspaper wrote an article about it when a temporary stop sign was placed in my local city during road construction. The article reminded people on how they work, since most drivers will never encounter one for decades.
Stop signs in Norway are usually used in conjunction with priority roads. You will never encounter a 4-way stop intersection like the ones common in America. Norway usually use a yield sign instead, or no sign at all if it's a non-priority road.
One extra tidbit is that the yield-from-right rule does not apply if it's a private road or a parking lot. In those cases: The public road has priority. So how do you know if it's a public road, you might ask? Public roads are named, and the road will have a sign with the roads name by the intersection. If there is no such sign: It usually means it's a private road.
Oh, and one last important note: After you've made a left or a right turn of an intersection: Don't assume you're still on a priority road if you don't see the crossed out diamond. They will not use the crossed out diamond after intersections. You just have to assume you're not on a priority road anymore unless you see the diamond again after turning onto the new road. The crossed out diamond is not often used, but when they do: It's usually on a side-road in the middle of nowhere. This is often because you've reached a part of the road that doesn't justify being a priority road anymore because traffic on the section you've reached is simply too little.
*Let others pass you*
It's technically a rule in Norway, but not enforced. This is something I wish was enforced more. I've seen some driving that could be considered weaponized incompetence.
Sorry about the wall of text. I couldn't help myself 🙃
I'm a Norwegian currently trying to get a driving license and this actually helped me quite a bit. Thank you very much x,D
In addition, the "no stopping" sign is typically used for stretches of road that can be dangerous to stop on the side of, f.ex. tunnels or places that would hinder traffic like a narrow road making it hard/impossible to pass etc. Not to just "keep traffic moving"..
Ofcourse emergency stops because your car breaks down or something acute makes you unable to drive etc, I don't think you would get any trouble for it, as long as its a legit emergency, and (if possible) you try your best to stop as safely an unobstructively as you can, and put out the warning triangle properly (which is mandatory to have in the car at all times, along with a high visibility vest within hands reach of the driver)
(I'm saying this assuming that everyone knows you can't just stop your car in the middle of the road for no reason, or is this something americans do?)
No parking is often used in city streets.. it does allow for a short stop to drop off/pick up a passenger or goods (atleast of a certain size/amount, f.ex. picking up a couch or tv is fine, but if its just a letter or small package, you have to park somewhere proper), and although there is no set time limit, the stop must be "as short as possible" so no dilly-dallying
@@Lunchpacked180 No parking signs are usually set up extra in the winter so they can clear the roads of snow!
There is no such thing as "all-year"-tyres. We have summer tyres, and winter tyres, period! And there are two types of winter tyres; studded. and non-studded . The latter is not illegal during summer, but not smart at all to drive in the summer. The much softer rubber is made for cold weather, and will wear down much faster than the stiffer summer tyres, and increase the braking lenght, especially when it`s wet.. Studded tyres are , of course, illegal to use in the summer.
A bit late to the party, but highways are usually 80 out west! We just recently got our first 110 tunnel in Bergen, but everywhere else is max 80.
I am so grateful for this, in Norway only 95 people died in traffic in 2020. In the USA, 42,600 people died in traffic, this is 0.001% of the population in Norway and 0.013 in the USA. And 620 people were injured in Norway and 5,000,000 so in Norway 0.011% were seriously injured and in the USA a full 1.5% were seriously injured. So grateful that my children are growing up in Norway.
This is very true. Too many families in USA are affected by car accidents during their life time. It's so tragic losing a loved one to a drunk driver when different alcohol laws could have saved most of them.
An alcohol limit of 0.08 is way too high for safe driving. It's been tested many times how alcohol is affecting your awareness and response time at 0.08 alcohol percent.
@borgerborgersen372 The percentage limit in the US is 0.08, not 0.8. The latter would be insane.
@@Henrik46 Changed. In Norway we use promille for alcohol level instead of percent. So 0.8 promille is the same as 0.08 percent.
you cant use the numbers like that...
42 600 killed in traffic per year equals the number of people killed in shooting accidents. Lovely!
Ye, in a country where "winter" means several months where you shold expect a road covered in a sheath of ice, its kind of important to have tires that won't send you flying off the road at the first turn 😂
*sheet. Sheath = slire
@dn3087 It would also help if more people learned that the gas pedal isn't an on/off switch. But of course, they should also use tires with softer rubber and tire patterns intended for snow. I lived in Pittsburgh PA for 1,5 years about 30 years ago, and I think the traffic problems when the snow came was about equal parts poor tires and poor driving skills.
@dn3087 I'm pretty sure I've heard most Minnesotans have a set of Winter Tyres but are not obligated to use them like we are.
If you ever come to Norway you will be the best prepared tourist of all time
Yes, indeed!
"Painfully slow" you say. Funny people say that, but all the tourist here by the west coast and along the fjords usually drive as slow as 50km/h (30mph) in the 80(50mph) zone. It's usually a nightmare for the locals in the summer, we joke every time someone holds up traffic that its probably a tourist.
Away from the big cities our highways are usually just one lane each direction, and the roads follow the landscapes. So we have a lot of curves and even getting your car up to 120km/h(75mph) can be challenging and very irresponsible. We drive on the right side just like in the US.
I swear it's always the tourists holding us up
og 30 km/t på en felts landeveier.... Mens de bremser i svingene, og ligger som oftest midt i veien oppi det hele...
@@stianbogevik3805 ja når gulstripa forsvinner blir det helt krise😅
At certain car parks or the way to them are 20 km speed limits!
@@smileyfacejunior100% jävla tyska bobilar
Road signs in the US is mostly text, but in Norway (and most of the rest of the world), the road signs are mostly symbols.
so americans who wants to drive in norway,is a danger to others?
@@runeingebretsen8378 No i wouldnt think so. I was only pointing out the differences in road signs. The basic traffic rules are much the same though. Most americans ive met in Norway has been able to drive safely.
When I visited USA, I found the amount of text on the signs insane. Like, with that amount to read, you should drive super slow to get time to read all that
@@SotraEngine4 it says it all,dosen't it,how long does it take to get a license again,2 weeks? and how many book do they read? none is my assumption!
@@runeingebretsen8378 They are if they think american traffic laws goes in Notway. Which they probably do.
Having to make space for traffic from the right is so much more effective than STOP signs, its all about traffic flow.
So, there is a mistranslation here. What they have called highways are really just the main roads, while what they call dual carriageways and motorways are what are known as highways in the US. On the dual carriageways/motorways/highways the speed limit will vary between 80-110km/h or 50-70mph roughly.
You also won't necessarily always see speedlimit signs, as there are default speedlimits. If there are no signs then the speedlimit is 80km/h(50mph) outside of a town/built up area, and 50km/h(30mph) in a town/built up area. If there are signs then these apply regardless, of course.
We don't use stop signs much, unless it's a dangerous intersection with poor visibility. We will use the right hand rule, as described in the post, and yield signs. Near me I can only think of 2 stop signs, and both are about an hour's drive away from me. Similarly, we don't use as many traffic lights as the US, we use roundabouts where possible.
Norway follows the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and the Convention on Road signs and signals. These have been adopted by pretty much all of Europe in order to standardise how traffic works so that if you go from one country to another you will still be largely familiar with the traffic rules and signs. Other countries do also follow these conventions somewhat, even if they haven't signed and ratified them, like Japan. Though in those cases there will be bigger differences, but things will still be largely familiar.
Driving instruction is also a lot more comprehensive in Norway compared with the US. There are a certain number of mandatory classes to learn the traffic rules and the signs, and you will have to pass a test on this. There are also mandatory lessons with a certified driving instructor plus a mandatory practical driving exam, you cannot just be taught by your parents. Though you can practice with your parents generally, or others that have had a driver's licence for at least 10 consecutive years. There is also a mandatory lesson on driving on slippery conditions, like icy roads.
This does make a driver's licence more expensive than elsewhere, but you should also be a better driver for it.
Note: This is for the driver's licence for a car under 3.5 tonnes, for larger vehicles other rules apply and different lessons and tests are required
While people are legally required to pull over and let those behind them pass, if you are driving slower than the speedlimit, in practice people generally don't do this. Farmers are more likely to do it since tractors are usually much slower than cars.
If the car lights are on, you know that the car is either moving or about to move. When they are off, you know the car is parked.
This should be the case but sadly there are drivers that really don’t care anymore. Lights are still on even if the car is parked
This is also to make sure no one waits too long to turn on the lights, because there is always someone who just keeps going even when it's painfully obvious it's become too dark to drive without lights on
It's so much more than that. You don't know how much more visible cars are when they have their lights on in daytime, until they don't use them. Germany, for example, don't have mandatory low-beams, and it's so much harder to see oncoming traffic. There's no drawbacks to low-beams, so it blows my mind this is not mandatory everywhere.
Earlier, all imported cars were modified so the lights turned on automatically when you started the car, but since they stopped this practice, many no longer have the lights on when driving, even though is't illegal.
While the concept is good, sadly: Few people actually care to use their lights correctly in Norway. Most lights are just always on, as long as the engine is running (or "on" if electric). Even when parked. Because people are gonna people, and forget about it.
That being said though: I do see the occasional import car without this automatic feature. Meeting someone driving without lights often startles me, since I didn't expect the car to be moving. It really makes a difference! And imho it should be mandatory everywhere.
The death rate per 100,000 citizens from car accidents in the US is 12.34, compared to 2.19 in Norway. So yes, there is a significant difference in road safety between the two countries.
Yes, we change to winter tyres to get a better grip in the snow. Just as you change shoes. Logic!
80 km / hour is absolutely appropriate for the geography. 80 km/h is not slow considering how narrow and windy those roads are. You simply cannot drive anything like 120
km/ hour through those twists and turns.
00:54 Manually holding and operating a mobile phone while driving is prohibited. If you have your phone on speakerphone or connected to the handsfree system of the car, then you can talk as much as you want.
We here in Sweden must have our lights on all the time once I was blinded by the sun but I saw the other car coz the lights from the car is diffrent from the sunlight it Save my life
That's a good side effect from that law. I think the main is to easily see if a car is driving or parked. But being able to more easily see cars while blinded is a noce bonus
@@redholm No, it´s not a side effect - that IS the reason for it. We have long periods with really low sunlight that hits you right in the face.
@@olenilsen4660 That's not the main reason given here in Norway at least. It's for others to easily see if you are Parked or driving. Meaning being blinded and seeing car lights is a nice extra not the main intent of the law.
I don't know about you but I have only been blinded once since I got my Licence and I live above the arctic circle. Meaning our sun that never sets in summers is VERY low.
Sweden (and Norway) have the priority roads thing. If you're going on a priority road with loads of visibility, there's no reason for a full stop at a stop sign. That's why we have roads where you only need to stop if someone comes, you don't have to stop otherwise. If there's a stop sign, you have to stop no matter what, but the constant stopping and starting of vehicles are less nice towards the environment.
Just want to add that the usage of yield signs instead of stop signs have nothing to do with the environment, even though it would be true. It´s all about letting traffic flow as much as possible, which is the purpose of most traffic laws.
Swede here...but surely the same rule in Norway...you must not turn right at a traffic light that is red. It is allowed in the US if I remember correctly.
Very similar traffic rules apply everywhere in Europe/EU.
In Germany, not all Americans are allowed to drive a vehicle. There is an agreement between the United States and Germany on this subject. This means that only US citizens whose state requires qualified driver training are allowed to drive in Germany. Only citizens of 24 US states are allowed to drive in Germany. All others must take a driving test in Germany.
But I think it would make more sense if all Americans had to take a driving test beforehand, because all Americans are lousy drivers compared to Europeans.
Supplement: American teenagers under the age of 18 are not allowed to drive in Germany a car under any circumstances, even if they have a valid U.S. driver's license!!
The no stop sign means you can't stop there to e. g. unload passengers or cargo. However, you can stop if there is a traffic jam etc.
Mythbusters proved by experiments that driving while on the phone, bluetooth or not, is just as impairing as driving under heavy alcohol influence. So for us it's kind of insane that more don't have the law.
We have stop signs in Norway, but they're very rare. We usually use yield signs.
We used to have a lot of yield signs in Canada, but everyone treated them like they weren't there. Now we don't have very many.
Phone:
Talking on the phone when driving means reaching for your phone when someone is driving. That is dangerous as you look away from the road to find the phone while driving.
A bluetooth speaker and now you can be on a call without endangering those around you.
Drinking and driving:
Just no. So much safer to not drink and drive.
Lights:
We have more country roads than highway roads, those roads you can be alone on and having lights on means you notice another car driving towards you as you see their lights. Also random animals like deer, sheep etc so having lights means it less likely you miss them. Or they run away from the car sooner. Also Norway gets darker fast, so at 5pm it can be darker then you realize then at 8pm it can be pitch black, depending on what season it is so lights is a must.
Winter tires:
Yes it is a must, there are roads you cannot drive on properly cause you slip either summer tire, winter is a real thing in norway.
Speed:
The point is norway isnt flat so we need to work with the mountain roads, fjords, so we can’t get speed up without endangering those around you and yourself. Highway is the only time your speed is okay as it is flat and has good visibility. Most Norwegian roads don’t always have that visibility as there is a mountain in your way and you cant see cars driving towards you until they are on top of you
WARNING, this is NOT ENTIRELY correct. ANY interaction that is considered "distracting" is illegal, and you can and WILL be fined for using bluetooth speakers if it is considered imparing your driving, which it almost always is. I'm surprised so many people don't know this.
Winter tyres have a different typ3 of ruber, givinb better grip on snow and ice. (achains are a rhing, but m
Scotland here. You are not allowed to talk on your phone here either, unless you have a hands free connection
We drive on the right side like you in the US. You can use your phone if you have a Bluetooth earpiece or your you can connect thru the car entertainment system. But you can't hold your phone while driving. And about the light, I have a BMW like must other car here in Norway that has a auto mode on the lights. So my main light are off on the daytime, but my Angel eye as they are named are on, and if I park but the car is on they will dim down. And when it starts to get dark then main lights will come on.
Driving with low lights is not to see better, but to be seen by others. Lower crash rates.
And that difference is really dramatic when it's foggy or rainy.
Sweden has the same rules when it comes to using your mobile phone while driving, you can talk on the phone if you use hands-free call, but you can not hold your phone, both hands should be on the steering wheel. The alcohol limit is also the same.
Also when it comes to headlights you must have them on at all times, Sweden was the first country to introduce this law and accidents went down.
Winter and summer tires are also the same. Both Sweden and Norway are pretty cold during the winter and can have a lot of snow, so you need special tires for that.
The street signs are the same in all countries outside of North America.
The speed limits in Sweden are generally higher than in Norway, where the top speed on a highway can go up to 120 km/h (iabout 75 mph).
We don't have the speed limit crossed out, instead, we'll have a new sign telling you about the new speed limit. Our speed limit signs also have a yellow background instead of a white but other than that they look the same.
All the other rules are the same.
One very important difference is that in Norway, you can never drive on red light whereas in the US, you can drive on red if you're turning right. In Norway, there will be an arrow light informing you whether you can drive or not. I have been told that you should never turn left in America unless you have a death wish.
Headlights at all times make it easier for others to see you, ie when the sun is low. Security for all!
18:05 Generally speaking, there is no set amount of cars that have to be behind you before you should let them pass you by, my family used to have a general rule of thumb that if there were 3 cars or more behind us, then we would let them pass us by, but this was just a family rule not an official rule.
18:54 You don't have to pull over, generally speaking, as long as there is room for it to be done, simply using your right indicator/blinker while slowing down and driving closer to the road shoulder should be more than enough. You want to give those behind you a clear sign that you are letting them pass you by, and doing those steps will usually always work.
It used to be 0.05% in Norway, the change to 0.02% came sometime in the late 90s I believe.
With 0.05% most people could have one or maybe two beers, but that often lead to people who "felt fine, I can have another" - now as the text says: Rule of tumb is no driving if you had alcohol.
There's still driving under the influence though, but either people who didn't wait long enough, or people who drive under the influence of drugs.
in norway we have 2 set of rims for each car, one set of rims with summer tyres and one with winter tyres, and the rule says you gotta use correct tyres for the condition, so if it randomly starts snowing in may and the snow lay itself on the ground and stick it means you're not allowed to drive with summer tyres.
Winter specific tires is a thing in many US states that have a proper winter.
I live in Málaga southern Spain here you can use your phone in your car as long as you use hands free. Texting whilst driving is banned here too.Why are you so surprised about the drink drive laws are that strict. If you intend to drive you should not drink for obvious reasons.
we can use hands free in norway also,it was poorly explained.
@15:38 Stop signs are reserved for dangerous intersections. most intersections will use yield signs for the roads that are not designated priority.
The basic rule is right before left at intersections unless otherwise indicated with the diamond sign or a yield sign.
Stop signs are kept to a minimum in Norway (I think we have two digit amount of stop signs in the whole of Norway) due to drivers not respecting them if there are too many of them. Thus, we operate with yielding much more.
....and we made lingerie ads for H&M illegal, because it took avay the drivers focus
Anna Nicole Smith ;D
Yes you cant talk on the phone, you need to hav buildt in handsfree system in your car
Main reasons for the types of traffic-rules is the climate in Norway. Example; Using High-beams during Winter in a country that stretches into the Artic Pole can be quite dangerous to oncoming traffic. We're instructed to always use Low-beams if we share the road, it makes you visible to other drivers. We only use the High-beams for road visibility if we're alone, private or off-road.
Winter tyres(or tires if you will) have grooves and often patterns in an arrow shape to plow the mud & snow away from the tracks aswell as give traction to a icy surface. Summer tyres are made for wet surfaces and has four/five lines going all the way around it with small cuts in the pattern for water dispersion & avoiding hydroplaning. If you've seen videos of Texans getting snow and driving I think you'd agree we need a set for each season ^^
In Canada insurance rates are lowered if you use winter tires. 9:40 Canada's speed limits are much the same.
You can touch your phone to answer a phone call ONLY if it's mounted securely in a holder. Or if it's connected via bluetooth. So yes, you can talk on your phone.
The speed limit may be 80km/h, but tourists often drive slower, because there is so much to see. Everywhere. Apparently. It's just forests, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, snow capped mountains, houses with grass on the roof, cows, sheep, horses, or the occasional moose or deer etc.
Remember that what's called highways in western Norway is not real highways. It's usually normal width roads with 2 lanes (1 in each direction). These highways have a lot of curves due to the terrain (following fjords, valleys etc)
Normal highways with wide 2 lane roads like in eastern Norway have 90 km/h which is 56 mph. These have fewer curves since the terrain is more open and flat..
Freeways with 4 lanes or more usually have 100 km/h (63 mph) and some even have 110 km/h (68 mph). Our Parliament has approved trying out 120 km/h (75mph) on a few selected freeways. However, the trials haven't started yet.
there is also a opposite sign to the priority road sign. Its a red and white upside down triangle and means you have to give way from both left and right. usually found when going on or crossing a priority road, and before every roundabout. (when in a roundabout you have priority).
12:07 Speeding Tickets seem to vary between 1100 NOK to 15,100 NOK, you could also lose your license if you drive too much over the speed limit, this would also mean losing all your driver's licenses, so no driving a truck, moped, scooter, motorcycle if you lose your license for driving too fast in a car, for instance.
you can ask for permission to drive if you your job is driving,like a tractor.
07:44 You skipped the next part. Parking at Shopping Malls vary from shopping mall to shopping mall, some have free parking with no time-limits, others have free parking for 1 hour, others still have it for 2 hours, then there might be some shopping malls that have varied time-limits depending on the parking area - like shorter time-limits the closer to the entrance you park, etc. or if you use underground/closed-area parking areas.
While it is true that most places you park do have a digital (App) payment option available, as far as I am aware, all places still has a physical pay with your card option available, too. We used to have cash options, but I don't think there are any such options anymore anywhere in Norway.
1:06 what are you talking about?
3:12 are you sure? In Canada it’s like 0.04
7:06 you’re in California you don’t count
9:04 you do! It’s an S or black octagon instead of a P
13:07 yes you do in United States you have signs when you come off of an exit or into a township that says “50 mph unless unless otherwise posted”
14:53 actually this is the case in the US. If you come at the same time. Minus the yellow diamond sign.
15:57 it literally just said
19:24 yes you do ._.
Regarding lights on during the day, it is smart, you can expect a car with lights on to be moving and a car with them off is most likely parked.
The parking sign with the single line through on a blue background actually means no parking, unless for unloading goods or waiting for passengers to enter or exit the vehicle. Many drivers try their luck, but you'll might get a ticket. Around 50 to 60 dollars.
The parking sign with double lines, or cross, means no parking whatsoever. But you can stop if the traffic has stopped, naturally.
You say wow, I cant drink alcohol at all while driving, wtf do want to drink and drive. Dont ever drink and drive. Please. You gonna hurt someone and end in jail.
The problem with allowing some drinking and driving is that you lose the social pressure. If you see someone having a beer at a bar and you know they're driving, then you know that they're drinking and driving. But you're not counting how many beers they have, so if it's ok to have a couple, then you're basically leaving it up to the driver to self-assess. That's a bad idea with alcohol, because everyone gets really smart when they drink.
@@jeschinstad i drank a half of my beer, got pulled over and had 0.02. if i got pulled over10 minutes earlier bye bye license
@@realoadin Yes. There's also another thing people don't know. Like my father got rear-ended on his way home from work. He was perfectly innocent. But he drinks every day from 1930 to 2300. He's extremely serious about never ever having blood alcohol while driving. But after a traffic incident, you are not allowed to drink any alcohol for 24 hours. So the cops came to his house at 1935 that night and he had started drinking wine. But they were called away on something urgent. The cop just said something that would translate to «now you were really god damn fucking lucky». :)
@@jeschinstadlucky😂. If we crash and are drunk/high insurance do not help you, same if you are driving a car without approved license and crash, well debt slave😂. If you crash while drunk and killed a guy, 6 years prison. And you have to pay the family a ton, plus debt for all the damage with the cars.
3:30 in Czechia and Slovakia and I believe in Poland too we have zero tolerance for driving and drinking, 0,00% alc. And it's punished quite a lot.
It's in principle the same in Norway, except that 0‰ gives too many false positives, so the 0,02% gives a margin for error. If you have a non-zero value, they may keep for a while and take another test so seem if it's coming up or down. If it's going up, they can hold you until it stops climbing.
The no chains on tyres for passenger cars is false. However, there are very few situations where you need them. They are reserved for especially challenging/dangerous winter roads (with snow). If it is a really challenging snowy road and you see a sign to put on chains on the tyres, it might not be such a bad idea to do so
These signs are not only in Norway, I am from Ukraine and we also have all these signs! I think they are in all Europe!
A lot of countries (All EU, some Asia, some Africa) follow the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
Traffic signs in Norway are very visual. It takes to much time to read a lot of text on signs. Saves seconds that may save a life!
Lights in the middle of the day makes it a lot easier to spot a car even at day if it comes from your blind zone, also it get quickly dark in Norway at least in the winter time
People tend to forget that allot of places in Norway. Driving is like driving on a roller coaster without rails. You cant be tipsy when it risks driving off the road means you drive off a cliff or into a fjord and so on. If you drive a small European car and hit a large moose. The moose is probably the same size as your car... That is why hitting them can be very dangerous. The moos is obviously standing on its legs so its whole body can go into your car and land on top of you at 80kmh. A death sentence.
In Sweden the laws regarding driving is mostly the same as in Norway, except we don't have the crossed over speed limit signs, we just put up another speed limit sign when you exit a town, showing the new speed limit.
In the Faroes, where I live, which is also a Scandinavian country. If there is anything in the car, that stops you from concentrating fully on driving, you will get a ticket. For example, anything that stops you from using two hands while driving. You can use one hand to steer the wheel and the other to push a button in the car, as long that doesn’t take away your concentration for more then a second.
The weather conditions, in northern hemisphere of Scandinavia, can change really quickly, and it’s really important for other drivers to know if there is a car coming towards you, by having you headlights on at all times.
Very few countries in the world actually drive on the left side of the road, compared to the right. It's the UK, australia, southern asia and southern africa, and japan. That's about it.
Sweden switched as late as 1967. Prior to that, the border crossings between Sweden and Norway/Finland looked … interesting.
And Botswana, Thailand, Lesotho, Eswatini, Singapore, Mozambique, Rhodesia, Uganda, Kenya +++
@@olenilsen4660 Like I said, southern africa and southern asia.
@@andreasfischer9158 The number is not so small after all. Of 193 Nations recognised by the UN, 54 drive on the left hand. They are a lot of people in the world, if you consider India is one of them.
Regarding mobile phones in car, the driver can use the phone if they have some sort of hands free setup.
So like a Bluetooth headset, aftermarket installed system or factory integrated in the car sound system.
You can receive calls, but only make calls if they're pre programmed or through a speech recognition system.
You can't text, manually enter a phone number or look a number up in your contacts while driving, in other words nothing that isn't covered by the hands free set.
The police uses binoculars and other equipment to see if someone holds the phone while driving, that's enough for a ticket.
Regarding the ticket sizes, that actually seems low, as the limits were "recently" increased beyond that range mentioned.
There's currently a Supreme Court case where the police want to take the vehicle used in an aggressively speeding case (200+ in a 100km/h zone).
This was done during an illegal street racing incident, where many people blocked the on ramps to a motorway section for the perpetrators.
This is mimicking a Danish law that allows the police to seize the vehicle used aggressively speeding (very simplified, something like 2x the posted speed limits).
In belgium it is 0.05 but 0.02 for new drivers and truck/bus drivers. Talking on a mobile while driving is only allowed with dedicated handsfree setups (so no pickups and seat talks). And having a call while driving is highly discouraged if not yet illegal.
you can pass other cars in the oncoming lane if there are not 2 lanes connected or long split lanes on the side of your lane, but you must always double check if there is a clear oncoming lane, tlake on fone in handsfre is ok and higest speed is 110 km/t so 68 m/h
You have to use lights all the time on cars, because the sun can be low on the horizon so you can't really see cars coming towards you, if they don't have lights. And in the winter time half of Norway is dark during the day as well as nights.
You can talk on hardsfree setup. but your not allowed to look at screen to make a call or sendt text etc. But some intergrated systems in cars are allowed and mounted phones can be "used" to make recive calls.
Some parts of the E6 now has 110 Km/h, most are usually by 80-90 km/h
And one of the main key reasons why 80km/h is the default "max".... (we all drive usually faster if we know the road) ...is because of "Frost Heaving", as in the ground gets pushed up when its cold and makes usually fllat roads have multiple speed bumps appear over night. And when it gets warmer, or the bumps gets pushed down, they will become small dents in the road which driving into even at 60 km/h unknowingly can be extremely dangerous.
0:13 there's a thing called Car mode or whatever to Mobile phones so it's basically stereo sound
If you want to learn more about why the road signs are different, you could watch Half as Interesting's video about it. Then upload you reaction to this channel or the UK channel.
Definitely to THIS channel.
No parking can be used infront of a hostital entrance to allow ppl to get in\out of the car\bus etc. but you have 5-10 min to do so. IF they change it to no stopping you can't stop and let someone off\on then you must find a other place to do so. This is often used in abulance offload. infront of a firehouse\hostpital to make sure that the road is clear for emergancy. or infront of emergancy exit from buildings etc.
You _can_ talk the phone while driving in Norway, provided you do so without holding the phone, touching the screen or looking at the phone.
Officially the rules does not specify that you need specific tyres for the season or circumstance. It does say that you need to ensure enough traction for the circumstance. In practice and by presedence it means winter tyres in winter, either studed or other types. Winter tyres in summer is less important, but you can get faulted if to u use them wrongly after accident.
Most of those roadsigns are pretty much standard for Europe , with some local variation.
Stop signs exists but are rare. I think i know 1 in my city, and one outside, but i think that one got removed and replaced by a yield sign.
Studies have shown that being on a hand held phone while driving is as bad as drunk driving with quite a high blood alcohol content.
The headlight thing is very obvious when you see the difference one after another. It's also much easier to see if a car is in operation or if it's just parked.
Most of the toll roads are auto tolls, you get a letter to pay in the mail.
Some gas stations have this implementation,
Every road with a crossroads with a white street sign without theyellow diamon means you have to yield, we have stopped sign for parts prone to accidents.
We don't have many stop signs in Norway, but we have the softer "yield" sign all over (inverted white triangle with red border). It means basically the same as a stop sign, except you're not actually required to stop or even slow down any more than visibility of the intersection demands. If you can see it's clear, you can just go.
If you're on a priority road, any incoming traffic WILL have at least a yield sign, if not a full on stop sign. So basically, the yellow diamond is just there to inform you of that fact.
And yes, we have default speed limits of 50 km/h in urban environments and 80 in the countryside. Saves a bit on signage or something.
The alcohol blood limit was reduced from 0.05% to 0.02% in 2001. I was too young to follow the debate, but I assume people were going "I can have one beer and still drive" and the government wanted none of that. Is my guess.
And we are definitely allowed to go into the oncoming lane to pass slower drivers. Whenever the road is straight enough. My dad has told me that 30 years ago, there would be a single stretch of road long enough to pass a heavy transport on the hour plus drive from Oslo to the Swedish border along E18 (assuming no cars were coming the other way). That road has fortunately gotten upgrades since then, but plenty of other roads are still no better.
the find for using the handheld mobile is about $1000, using the mobile with handsfree is leagal
hearing you say that 80 km/h (50mph) is slow, and all i think think is "good luck even getting up to 80, or higher on most roads, especially as a non local driver!" as most roads are to windy, narrow or bad to even get up to that speed unless you know it like your own pocket
Laws changed. We have to have light on at all times yes, but. We can use fog lights as driving lights.
The law about tires, is 3.6mm minimum groove as winter tires and 1.6 mm summer. But if you use a summertire with 3.6mm summertire at winter and hit someone you most likely will get the blame.
winter tyersx are softer, more grip. Summer tyers get stone hard in winter. we also have winter tyers with spikes
Winter Tires is much better to drive in the Ice and Snow. Summer Tires are dangerous in the Winter road.
About speed limits; in Norway we have something called general or generalised speed limits. There's 50 km and 80 km. 50 is for populated areas and 80 is for less poputalted areas. The rule is that if there are no signs to the contrary, the speed limit is either 50 or 80; depending on the area you are in.
It's also illegal to not let someone pass you if you're driving slowly, not just "assumed". Bikers etc. who is severely below the traffic flow speed are supposed to get off the road and let anyone pass. Another law that many, including Norwegian, seems to forget.
You can pass a car or a slow vehicle if there is room. But Norwegian roads are often narrow, winding and there are quite a few accidents when passing.
All of the signs are common european signs
15:12 Yep, it is. It is also one of the biggest reasons why my American dad does not feel comfortable at all with driving in Norway, because he never could get used to having to often yield for anyone coming from his right when driving on non-priority roads.
A couple of elaborations.
Mobile phones. You can talk on the phone if using a bluetooth handsfree system, and the phone must stay in a pocket or a fixed holder. If you're caught talking on a handheld phone the fine is over 11000 NOK / 1000 USD.
The lights. The use of low beams or Daylight running lights (DRL) are mandatory.
We're driving on the right side of the road.
Generally traffic fines are very high.
Also Finland you chains winter tyres and not holding phone when you drive
also sentence make not good?
Didn't Nokia use to produce car tyres before cell phones?
@@tomgeorgeriksen4709 Nokia winter tires 1934, phones factory production 1985 and for sale 1987, focuses on rubber boots 2002
@@tomgeorgeriksen4709 u are confusing nokian with nokia i believe
@@tomgeorgeriksen4709 are you sure you are not confusing nokian with nokia?
11:16 This portion should be "100 or 110km/h," 90km/h is usual everywhere in Norway where the motorways are designed for such, but it's not everywhere that you find speed limits of 100 to 110km/h.
weird it didn't say anything about the 3 car lenght rule,and why are there no signs for that?
Some highways are 110km/h in Norway. Some are 100 or 90. Roads with 80km/h are usually not classified as highways.
Traffic flows better when main roads have the right of way, and is the main reason for priority roads. As much as possible traffic lights are avoided and roundabouts and priority is used instead.
The sign Said to mean 'No stopping' does actually tell you to not enter! Could be a one way driven road Where you Come from the wrong direction
What are you on about? That sign would be red with a horizontal white line... This one was blue with a red cross and border, which IS the "No stopping" sign.
My last car had Bluetooth on the stereo, so it was easy to use it as 'handsfree'. Then you can talk on your phone. Or any other means of handsfree. But absolutely no texting, and driving.
The car lights shouldn't be an issue. Unless the car is very old (say, from the 1970s or earlier), the lights will automatically be on when the engine is running.
In Norway its dark and many tunnels everywhere so its best to just always have your lights on at all times.
When you're especially in areas with a crossed out (grayed out) speed sign, you either drive 50 km/t in urban areas or 80 km/t in rural areas. ALWAYS remember to drive based on road conditions. This is why you don't have to drive 80 km/t if it isn't safe.
It's a legal to do it in Canada too.Except for if it's hands free through your car.
In Canada, as far as driving goes depending where you live.There are some provinces where you must have winter tires in the winter or all seasons.They used to say but now I don't think that's true.I think it's just winter. And you want the winter tires anyways, if you want to stay off the ditch.
In Europe normally every type of road/environment normally (urban/non-urban/highway) have a default speed so if there are no explicit speed limit you are on the one for the type, and it sound like that is 80 km/h for non-urban in Norway. In Germany they are 50/100/no-limit but the latest with 130 as recommended highest speed (if you get in an accident driving over 130 the burden of proof is reversed), in Sweden 50/70/110
it look as a lot of your info is "old" you can get speeding tickets up to 15200NOK.
the fines for drunk driving is 1.5 times your monthly salary before tax.
they have made most intersection to roundabout's or T section's.
Alcohol and driving do NOT belong together!! Driving with lights on makes completely sense if you think about it 🙂👍
About the speed.. Its seems this is a bit old. but we have more highways being buit for 110km\h or 69mp\h(ish) and become more common.. but we also have alot of roads that have alot of turns (picture Cars movie in the town more swings and up\down hill. ) when they show they build new highway witch plows trough the landscape. we also have alot of 1x1 lane highways thats more the 70-80km\h because there is no barrier between directions. now that they invest and make new once. they are typical 2x2 (closer to oslo they have from 2x2 to 4x4) with a ditch and saftey rails. The need has changed, but also where there is 60/70/80 km\h you dont really wanna go in 110km\h because the bends will be comming to quick and some places the roads gets very small due to a mountian or a cliffside that is taking up the space for a propper 1x1 and we will have 0.7x 0.7.. So there is just the space for 2 semi to meet. some places is just 1x0 and you need to wait your turn. They fix alot of this with tunnels.. You grew up with 70mp\h we grew up with 80 and then we got 100 and now 110 (on some parts of the road) I guess you will find the same north in america some places and in canada.
The law against speaking/texting exists in most European countries. You are however allowed to use handsfree systems.
The summer tyres just spin on the snow and ice. We need better friction on snow