Road rules and safety - Norway

The use of seat belts and child restraint systems is MANDATORY (Directive 91/671/EEC as amended).

Exemptions for mandatory use:

• Medical reasons (with an official medical certificate)
• Vehicles making frequent stops (e.g. mail services in towns, vehicles carrying out deliveries)
• Reverse driving
• Driving in non-public areas (parking, garages, yards etc)

No information

Standard drivers

Novice drivers

Professional drivers

Alcohol consumption is forbidden during working hours and 8 hours before work for professional drivers.

Forbidden drugs

Impairment limits comparable to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.02%, are defined for 20 psychotropic drugs, including the most prevalent benzodiazepines, cannabis, GHB, hallucinogens and opioids.

Limits for graded sanctions, representing drug concentrations in blood likely to induce impairment comparable to BACs of 0.05% and 0.12%, are defined for 13 of the 20 substances.

Alprazolam (3 ng/ml)

Clonazepam (1.3 ng/ml)

Diazepam (57 ng/ml)

Fenazepam (1.8 ng/ml)

Flunitrazepam (1.6 ng/ml)

Nitrazepam (17 ng/ml)

Oxazepam (172 ng/ml)

Zolpidem (31 ng/ml)

Zopiclone (12 ng/ml)

THC (1.3 ng/ml)

Amphetamine (41 ng/ml)

Cocaine (24 ng/ml)

MDMA (48 ng/ml)

Methamphetamine (45 ng/ml)

GHB (10 300 ng/ml)

Ketamine (55 ng/ml)

LSD (1 ng/ml)

Buprenorphine (0.9 ng/ml)

Methadone (25 ng/ml)

Morphine (9 ng/ml)

There are lanes reserved for various types of vehicles, as specified by road signs. Drivers must use the lane specified for the vehicle they are driving.

Winter tyres are mandatory for heavy goods vehicles beyond 3.5 tons from 15 November to 31 March. Heavy goods vehicles beyond 3,5 tons are also required to be equipped with tyres with a tread depth of at least 5 mm and a sufficient number of snow chains.

Studded tyres may only be used between 1 November and the first Monday after Easter Monday. In the counties of Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, studded tyres may be used from 16 October up to and including 30 April. There are no such date restrictions when it comes to non-studded winter tyres.

The vehicle must have winter tyres (studded or non-studded), chains or similar also outside of the periods mentioned above if this is necessary in order to ensure sufficient road grip. If snow or ice can be expected on the roads, the vehicle must carry chains regardless of the time of year.