Traffic, Car park | Shouting warning about Norwegian cars: Lives are in danger

Norway has had a problem for many years: the average age of the cars that drive has been among the highest in Europe, and it has been getting older.

It’s a bigger problem than it sounds, because there are two things that have really improved every year: Road safety and emissions.

– Increasing age in the car fleet in Norway is not a good sign. When we know that new cars are safer than old cars, action must be taken to get the oldest, least traffic-safe and least environmentally friendly cars off the roads. Therefore, the scrap deposit must be set up, says Nils Sødal, senior communications advisor at NAF in a press release.

According to NAF, the average age of cars on Norwegian roads has increased by 2 years since the turn of the millennium. It is now fully 11 years old.

– This is clearly a development that is going in the wrong direction. We know that newer cars are far safer in traffic than old cars. So this development is not good for road safety, says Sødal.

In Norway, there were 2,841,502 registered passenger cars in 2023. Of these, 651,633 cars were 16 years or older. This corresponds to 23 percent of the car fleet.

Wants an increased scrap deposit

According to NAF, the most important reason why fewer people die in traffic is better safety in cars. Various types of safety equipment in cars have greatly increased in scope since the 1990s to the present day. It started with airbags and ABS brakes, while now we also have a lot of other safety equipment.

– Increasing age in the car fleet in Norway is not a good sign. When we know that new cars are safer than old cars, action must be taken to get the oldest, least road-safe and least environmentally friendly cars off the roads. That is why the scrap deposit must be set up, says Sødal.