In Norway, drivers and cyclists often share the road and thus must follow the same traffic rules. Read more about bike safety.
Car safety
Driving a car is one of the best ways to experience Norway at your own pace. But the driving conditions can sometimes be harsh, especially during winter. If you’re crossing mountains or driving far on smaller roads, you should keep warm clothes, food, and water in the car. Also note that fuel stations may be few and far between in the mountains and other remote areas, especially in Northern Norway.
Speed limits
In general, the Norwegian speed limit is 80 kilometres per hour, except for in built-up areas or town centres, where it is 50 kilometres per hour unless otherwise stated. It can be as low as 30 kilometres per hour in residential areas, and as high as 110 kilometres per hour on certain dual carriageways and motorways. Of course, certain conditions may warrant much lower speeds, for instance in low visibility or on slippery roads.
Heavy vehicles (over 3.5 tonnes) and vehicles towing caravans or trailers may not exceed 80 kilometres per hour regardless of the local limit. The maximum speed limit for cars towing trailers and caravans is 80 kilometres per hour, even if the road's limit is higher. Certain trailers and caravans can travel at up to 100 kilometres per hour, provided that both the vehicle and the trailer have been tested and approved for Tempo 100. Find out more here.
Tyres
It doesn’t have to be cold for the road to be slippery, and worn-out tyres pose a serious hazard even on dry roads. For driving in Norway, your summer tyre tread must be at least 1.6 millimetres deep. For winter tyres, the minimum is 3 millimetres. During the winter, you must drive with winter tyres with or without studs.
Use of studded tyres is allowed from 1 November until the first Sunday after Easter Sunday. In the counties Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark studded tyres are allowed during the period 15 October–1 May. Studded tyres may also be used outside of these periods if the weather and road surface conditions make it necessary.
If studded tyres are fitted to a car weighing under 3.5 tonnes, they must be fitted to all four wheels. Vehicles with a permitted total weight of 3.5 tonnes or more must carry snow chains if ice or snow is expected. These snow chains must fit the vehicle’s wheels. Snow chains can be bought at reasonable prices. Studded tyres can be rented.
The cities of Trondheim and Oslo have a fee for city centre driving with studded tyres, in order to limit the pollution produced by studded tyres.
