Report on run-off-the-road accident involving a coach on the E6 road by Trones in Namsskogan municipality on 29 July 2014

The accident is the eighth and most serious of the run-off-the-road accidents involving a coach that the AIBN has investigated. The driver has stated to the AIBN that he has no memory of the accident or of anything that happened during a period of approximately two hours prior to the accident. The investigation has focused on clarifying the sequence of events in connection with the accident, but there is nonetheless uncertainty about why the coach ran off the road. The AIBN cannot say for certain what affected the driver in this accident. However, in the AIBN’s opinion, several factors point to fatigue, and that the driver possibly fell asleep and/or became distracted/inattentive.

The investigation of this road traffic accident has identified learning points for several of those involved (public authorities, coach manufacturers, coach companies, coach drivers and passengers) that can help to improve road safety. The AIBN believes that there are several possibilities of improving safety by means of technical systems in vehicles, physical barriers on the road and organisational barriers that support the driver.

The AIBN has chosen not to submit any safety recommendations, but refers to the results of the investigation and points out that several actors in the transport industry can use the learning points identified in this investigation to help improve road safety.