Skip to main content

Norway plans self-driving car tests on public roads

The Norwegian Government is to consult on a proposal for a new law that would allow self-driving vehicles on the country’s roads, with the aim of passing the bill in the spring of 2017. The objective is to facilitate the testing of self-driving vehicles on Norwegian roads by the public within the framework of traffic safety while protecting the integrity of personal information. By allowing the public to test self-driving vehicles in Norway, the Government hopes to facilitate the development and testing
January 5, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The Norwegian Government is to consult on a proposal for a new law that would allow self-driving vehicles on the country’s roads, with the aim of passing the bill in the spring of 2017. The objective is to facilitate the testing of self-driving vehicles on Norwegian roads by the public within the framework of traffic safety while protecting the integrity of personal information.

By allowing the public to test self-driving vehicles in Norway, the Government hopes to facilitate the development and testing of new technologies in Norway and keep Norwegian technology companies competitive.

The government plans to gradually introduce self-driving vehicles. Only technologically mature systems will be approved for testing, with the purpose of understanding the effects self-driving vehicles have on traffic safety, traffic efficiency and mobility – and what impact they will have on the environment. The consultation explains how an application process could be set up to issue permits to persons or companies that wish to test out this new technology on Norwegian roads. The consultation also suggests conditions for approving such permits.

Related Content

  • August 29, 2019
    Don’t drive drunk – or use a hands-free phone
    Despite law changes, drivers’ bad habits have been creeping back in. TRL’s Dr Shaun Helman tells Adam Hill why using a phone at the wheel is just as distracting as driving after a few drinks esearch from as far back as 2002 (see box) suggests that driving while making a phone call – either hands-free or holding a handset to your ear – creates the same amount of distraction as being drunk behind the wheel. While it is notoriously hard to predict how alcohol will affect an individual (due to the speed of
  • May 25, 2023
    Sustainable mobility? Only possible with a multifaceted approach
    ITS European Congress 2023 was scene for 'full and frank exchange of views'
  • January 30, 2012
    Cross border enforcement a logical step
    The logic supporting a cross-border enforcement Directive for the European Union (EU) is both detailed and compelling. The White Paper on European transport policy published in 2001 included the ambitious objective of reducing by 50 per cent by 2010 the number of people killed on the roads of the EU. But since 2005 the reduction in the number of road deaths has been slowing down: overall, the period from 2001 until 2009 saw the number of fatalities decrease by 36 per cent. According to Community indicators,
  • January 14, 2020
    DoTs can benefit from high fibre content
    Existing fibre architecture may be one of the most important assets for DoTs going forward: Skyline’s Paul Lennon explains the importance of evaluating ITS network infrastructure maturity