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DRIVING

The best sites for buying a used car in Norway

So, you're looking to buy a used car to make getting around the city more manageable - or to get to work? Here's how and where to find the best deals on used cars in Norway.

Car road
In this article, we will go over some of the most popular sites for finding used car deals in Norway and getting to know the market. Photo by Will McClintock on Unsplash

Most large Norwegian cities have a well-developed public transport system that people can use to get to work, meet friends in or outside the city centre, and reach most nearby sites of interest (such as shopping centres, nearby islands, and similar places of interest).

However, owning a car can make your life in Norway more comfortable and easier. Furthermore, there are also places and areas with no suitable public transport options, which can become a real problem if you need to travel to reach your workplace.

As car prices and associated fees and taxes are pretty high, a lot of people opt for used cars in an attempt to save money.

In this article, we will go over some of the most popular sites for finding used car deals in Norway and getting to know the market.

Finn.no

The Norwegian used car market is not big. That means that, for a lot of things, you have a limited number of large players that tend to be the go-to place for second-hand purchases.

Among them, one site reigns supreme – Finn.no.

Finn is Norway’s most popular and most extensive online marketplace website and app. It is best known for real estate listings but also has a huge second-hand market for cars.

You can find used car offers on Finn here – just remember to click the bruktbil til salgs (used car for sale) box in the filter options.You can start buying on Finn.no after a short registration process. However, keep in mind that – as is the case with most (good) things on the internet – there are also shady actors that use the platform for nefarious purposes.

Be careful and attentive during your due diligence process, and always exercise common sense before you commit to buying anything online.

Facebook Marketplace and Facebook groups

Coming in at number two, a global tech giant with a growing e-marketplace presence in Norway – Facebook Marketplace.

Many Norwegians looking to buy a second-hand car use Facebook Marketplace due to its practicality – it’s as simple as clicking on the platform and setting the desired filters for your area, budget, and car condition.

You can also browse used cars by type and several categories.

Aside from the Facebook Marketplace, a number of Norwegians also use a plethora of Facebook groups to find deals on used cars.

You will usually be able to identify the Facebook groups that fit your needs by searching for your keyword of interest (buying a car, that is, bil kjøpes) and adding the name of the city or region of Norway in which you reside (for example, if you’re into books and live in the Oslo area, a good search would likely entail something like bil kjøpes/selges Oslo/Bergen).

Some of the more popular groups – as of the time of writing – include Bil kjøpes/selges/byttes, BILLIGBILER – kjøp,salg og bytteside av biler inntil kr 20.000,-, and Bil, båt, mc, verktøy til salgs, byttes, ønskes kjøpt i Norge.

No need to rush things – take your time to examine the groups suggested based on your Facebook search and join a few to get a better feel for the market.

Specialised websites

Many specialised sites focusing on the used car market have been acquired by larger companies and merged with other websites – or have succumbed to the market pressure from big competitors.

However, there are still some speciality websites around where you can find a decent number of used cars for sale.

Among them, at the time of writing, Mobile.no and Bruktbil.no stand out as online marketplaces with a good selection of used cars from both private sellers and dealerships. You can check out their offers here and here, respectively.

Note that there are also smaller specialised websites popular in individual counties and cities, so make sure to run a lot of Google searches, including your keyword of interest and the name of the town or region where you live to identify such sites.

Some of the websites you’ll find – especially the local or regional ones – may only be available in Norwegian.

In any case, make sure to read up as much as you can before committing to a potential purchase. The Local has a deep-dive article on the key things you should know when buying a used car, available here.

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DRIVING

The punishments for Norway’s most common traffic offences 

Norway takes a strict approach to road safety, meaning that the punishments for even the most minor driving offences are pretty strict. 

The punishments for Norway's most common traffic offences 

Getting up to speed with Norway’s road traffic laws is always a good idea, whether you live here and drive all the time, or you have always dreamed of a road trip in the Scandinavian country. 

The country has a “zero vision” for road traffic safety. Several governments have aimed to reduce the number of road traffic deaths to zero. 

Given this approach, it’ll come as no surprise that the country, therefore, imposes hefty penalties on those caught breaking traffic laws. 

 Speeding

Speed limits in Norway range from 30 kilometres per hour (km/h) to 110 km/h. As a result, fines for exceeding the speed limit range from 1,150 kroner to 15,200 kroner. 

Generally, the punishment will depend on whether the speed limit is below 60 km/h or above 70 km/h. 

Driving five km/h over the speed limit when the limit is below 60 will result in a fine of 1,150 kroner. After that, fines will increase for every five km/h over the speed limit you are, jumping to 3,150 kroner, then to 5,650 kroner, 8,200 kroner and then finally 12,700 kroner when you are caught going more than 25 km/h above the speed limit. 

Those with a Norwegian licence will be given points on their licence when more than 10 km/h over the speed limit. 

Extreme speeding will likely result in a criminal conviction and the driver’s licence being revoked for three to 36 months. In cases where the police officer believes the driver will later be convicted of dangerous driving, they can revoke the licence on the spot. The same can happen to drivers with foreign licences. 

READ ALSO: Can driving offences prevent you from getting Norwegian citizenship?

Meanwhile, the punishment for speeding when the limit is 70 km/h and above follows a similar structure. Fines start at 1,150 kroner and progress for every 5 km/h the driver is over the limit up to 35 km/h over the limit – which will result in a fine of 15,200 kroner. 

However, one key difference is that you will not accumulate points until you are more than 15 km/h over the limit when the limit was more than 70 km/h. 

Drink driving 

Norway has a strict drink driving limit, those with a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.2 per thousand (or 0.02 BAC) are considered to be under the influence of alcohol. 

Depending on factors such as weight, this typically equates to less than one drink. The penalties for drunk driving are derived from Norway’s Road Traffic Act

Those caught with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of below 0.05 will be fined. Those with a blood alcohol concentration of between 0.05 and 0.12 face fines and potentially conditional or unconditional imprisonment. Conditional imprisonment may come in the form of a suspended sentence. 

Those with a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.12 will more than likely be jailed and receive a fine. The fine for drunk driving is 1.5 times the offender’s monthly income.

In addition to the hefty fines and potential prison time, those who have a blood alcohol concentration of more than 0.5 per thousand will also lose their licence. 

Other offences 

Motorists in Norway can be fined 8,200 kroner for ignoring no entry signs, no traffic signs, no turning signs and no reversing signs, not following one-way traffic rules, not being in the right lane, ignoring roundabout rules, being in the wrong lane (such as a public transport lane), or driving on a pedestrian street. 

They can also be slapped with a 6,200 kroner fine for being in restricted areas. 

Illegal overtakes will land drivers a fine of 10,200 kroner. Examples include overtaking at junctions, when visibility is restricted, and before pedestrian crossings. 

Not giving way, such as for pedestrians at pedestrian crossings, can also result in fines of 10,200 kroner. 

Meanwhile, not using your indicators, not having the right lights on, and other offences can lead to fines of up to 3,900 kroner. 

Things like tailgating, running red lights, being on the wrong side of the road, illegal overtakes, failure to give way, and having people under 15 in the car without a seatbelt will all result in points added to your licence.  

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