No, lane splitting is explicitly prohibited under Norway’s Road Traffic Act (Vegtrafikkloven § 18-1), which mandates motorcycles to maintain a full lane position. The Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen) enforces this as a strict liability offense, with fines up to NOK 5,000 (≈€450) and potential license suspension for repeat violations. Recent 2026 amendments to the Traffic Regulations (Trafikkregler) reinforced penalties for “lane filtering” near intersections or in heavy traffic, aligning with EU-adjacent safety directives.
Key Regulations for Lane Splitting in Norway
- Mandatory Lane Positioning: Motorcycles must occupy a single lane with no lateral movement between vehicles (Forskrift om bruk av kjøretøy § 5-1).
- Intersection Restrictions: Lane splitting is banned within 50 meters of junctions, per Statens vegvesen’s 2025 circular on urban traffic management.
- Speed Differential Limits: Filtering between stationary or slow-moving traffic (e.g., <10 km/h) triggers automatic fines, as per 2026 enforcement guidelines.
Local police units (Politiet) prioritize enforcement in Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, where congestion-related incidents are prevalent. Exceptions exist only for emergency vehicles under Forskrift om særskilt kjøretøyføring § 2-3, but civilian motorcyclists face uniform prohibitions. Compliance audits in 2026 target high-risk zones, with AI-assisted traffic cameras detecting violations.