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Driving: How do automatic speed camera checks work in Norway

If you have spent any time at all driving on Norwegian roads, you'll know that the country has a well-established network of automatic speed cameras throughout the country.

Published: 21 March 2023 15:54 CET
Speeding
Norway employs automated speed control to decrease the frequency of speed limit violations in the areas being monitored. Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash

Each year, there is a number of campaigns promoting traffic safety on Norwegian roads. These educational measures are supposed to complement other regulatory efforts in curbing the number of road accidents.

One of the important systems in place to reduce severe injuries and fatalities on Norwegian roads is the country’s automatic speed control (ASC) program- which uses cameras.

As is the case in many other – but not all – European countries, Norway uses automatic speed monitoring using cameras on top of routine manual police speed checks.

The two types of automatic speed control in Norway

As Norwegian road traffic authorities point out on their website, automatic speed checks has a notable impact on traffic safety – it reduces the number of speeding violations at the location being monitored, especially regarding high-speed offences.

There are two types of automatic speed checks that you need to be aware of: section speed control and spot speed control.

The first one, section speed control, entails two speed cameras placed along a section of the road with a single speed limit. These two cameras are in communication with each other, and the distance between the cameras is divided by the time taken for the vehicle to travel from one to the other.

If you see a flashing red light, know that your vehicle has been photographed. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you were speeding.

If a vehicle is found to be speeding, a yellow light will flash 50 meters after the second camera, and the information on the speeding instance will be sent to the Norwegian Public Roads Administration.

The authorities will then verify whether both cameras photographed the same vehicle before forwarding the case to the Norwegian police.

Note that the first speed camera captures images of all vehicles that pass by and records information like the time of passing, license plate number, weight, and wheelbase. The relevant information is then transmitted to the second speed camera.

As the Public Roads Administration explains, the second speed camera creates a list of vehicles that have passed by the first speed camera, and when those vehicles reach the second camera, their speed is calculated based on the data that was previously recorded.

The second ASC type, spot automatic speed control, refers to a type of speed camera that measures a vehicle’s speed at a particular location or spot (hence, the name).

The road at this specific site has pressure-sensitive sensors in each lane that send out a signal when a vehicle axle passes over them. A speed meter then calculates the speed of each axle based on these signals and sends the data to the camera equipment.

The speed meter is certified and checked annually by the competent authorities, and the camera can only take photos with a valid certification.

If the speed of the first axle exceeds a predetermined limit (known as the photo limit), the camera takes a photograph, which is then manually checked by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and forwarded to the police.

For spot-speed control, a photo zone is marked on the road using two white lines.

The camera itself is housed within the speed camera box. It comprises a digital camera, a flash lamp, and a computer.

And if you are caught speeding by an ASC camera?

If you have been photographed by a speed control camera and want to get in touch with the authorities to clarify the situation, contact the switchboard for the police centre for automatic speed control at +47 26 68 00.

If you’re calling from a Norwegian phone, you can also reach the police at 02800. If you’re calling from a foreign number, try +47 22 66 90 50.

READ MORE: What happens if you get caught speeding in Norway?

In any case, if you have been caught speeding by the ASC system, expect to receive a letter in the mail from the police, which will usually contain a conditional offer of a “fixed penalty” and a form that you can fill out.

A fixed penalty allows you to settle a road traffic offence in a simplified way and is voluntary. If you refuse to accept the penalty, the case will be prosecuted as an ordinary criminal case.

Accepting a fixed penalty does not imply any confession or acknowledgement of guilt, and an accepted penalty will not be registered in the Central Fines Database.

The deadline for accepting the penalty offer is seven days from receipt of the notice. You can accept the fixed penalty by signing this acceptance form and returning it by post within this time limit.

If you refuse to accept the offer, you must specify the reasons why within the same deadline.

Case example

For example, if you’re caught driving at a speed of 89 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, expect to get an offer to pay a fee of 2300 kroner or spend three days in prison.

Note that an accepted fixed penalty has the same effect as a legally enforceable judgement.

By accepting the penalty, you give up your right to a trial and to have the penalty determined in court.

Any penalty points will be registered in the Norwegian Driving License Database.

Paying the fine

After returning the accepted Fixed Penalty form to the police, you will receive an invoice from the Norwegian National Collection Agency (NCA).

Detailed information on making the payment, paying in instalments and postponing payments is available on the NCA website. You’ll also be able to find it on the invoice that you will receive from the NCA.

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DRIVING

Everything you need to know about vehicle checks in Norway

If you've just moved to Norway and need a car to get around, you'll need to familiarise yourself with the country's vehicle inspection rules.

Published: 8 May 2024 12:23 CEST
Everything you need to know about vehicle checks in Norway

After moving to Norway as a car owner – or a prospective one — one of the first things you want to learn is what requirements the country has for vehicle inspections.

If you talk to locals or browse Norwegian websites and forums, you’ll quickly encounter two terms: “EU control/inspection” and PKK, which stands for periodisk kjøretøykontroll (vehicle inspection in English).

READ MORE: Living in Norway: Can you get by without a car?

We’ll simplify things right away – these terms have often been used interchangeably over the years, both colloquially and among relevant authorities, ever since Norway adopted EU traffic safety regulations in the late 1990s.

Which vehicles need to be checked – and what is checked

Under Norwegian regulations, all cars registered in the country that are over four years old must be inspected every two years.

In practice, that means most passenger cars must have an approved EU inspection within four years of initial registration, then every two years.

Simply put, if you don’t drive a new car, you’ll most likely need to plan for these biennial vehicle checks.

Some exceptions are in place, but they’re usually related to special vehicle types or large vehicles, such as camping vans.

READ MORE: What you need to do if you have a car accident in Norway

The standard vehicle check – which usually takes between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on the shop and how busy it is – looks at both safety elements and environmental factors.

In the traffic safety category, expect the mechanic to examine the brakes, wheels, lights, and other components that directly impact your safety while you’re driving.

Environmental factors include measuring your vehicle’s emissions, checking for leaks, and a few other controls.

What does it cost – and where can you have it done?

Different shops offer different prices, so look at several of them in your area before turning your car in for an inspection.

On average, expect to pay upwards of 1,000 kroner. At the time of writing, the price range in the Bergen area in western Norway was between 900 and 1,600 kroner.

The vehicle inspection can only be carried out by a car workshop authorised by the Norwegian Road Administration, although Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF) centres also offer the service in many parts of the country.

You can find the full list of these shops on the road authority’s website, and it’s pretty easy to collect offers from shops online, as many of them allow you to ask for a quote via their website.

Note that vehicles registered in Norway cannot take the mandatory roadworthiness test abroad. If you are planning an extended stay abroad, you should, therefore, take this into account and plan accordingly.

What affects the price

In Norway, you’ll find two general types of car workshops – independent ones and those that are part of a chain.

Note that both need to follow the same set of rules for the vehicle checks, so the actual level of service you’ll get from them should remain the same.

While the price will remain in the range we mentioned before, Norwegian car shops can also factor in the size of the car and several other elements, such as whether it’s electric or not, to arrive at the final price.

So, you’ll need to check whether your vehicle triggers additional costs before committing to an inspection (some shops offer a flat rate, but in others, there will be added costs).

EXPLAINED: The ways you can lose your driving licence in Norway

If you live in an urban area with multiple authorised car shops, you’ll probably get a better price, as competition will help drive the costs down as the shops fight for customers. However, don’t expect major price differences. For example, savings in the broader Bergen area usually amount to 10 to 20 percent.

The inspection price doesn’t cover fixes – you’ll have to budget for that separately after you get the information from the shop.

Addressing the errors and inspection deadlines

While some small issues won’t require a follow-up inspection, bigger issues will need to be addressed for your vehicle to pass the test.

You can have the vehicle reinspected in the same garage that carried out the roadworthiness test or present it for reinspection at another garage authorised to carry out the mandatory tests.

Remember that you also risk hefty fines if you miss an inspection deadline, and your car will also become non-compliant and might be de-regsitered.

If Norwegian police stop you with such a vehicle, they might remove your license plate and impound the vehicle, leaving you to cover the bill.

That’s why it’s a good idea to use the Norwegian Road Administration’s license plate search option to find out when to take your car in for your next inspection.

You can also receive notifications from the Road Administration when your next test deadline is approaching by downloading the “Bil og henger” app.

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