Especially in the summer, things are lost on the Danish roads. But how many times is the Road Directorate actually out to clean up after us?
Summer is peak season for lost items on the roads, and the Road Directorate is busy cleaning up after unlucky road users who have not properly secured their goods. Often it is bicycles, garden waste and cardboard boxes that end up on the carriageway, which can be dangerous for other road users.
It is not uncommon to come across unexpected objects on the roads. It can be a metal ladder that lies across the roadway, or tire debris that forces drivers to swerve suddenly. Sometimes it's smaller objects, like a piece of flamingo, that float around and cause unrest.
In addition to creating a security risk, these lost objects can also create chaos and entail a socio-economic loss. Every time the Norwegian Road Administration has to block off a track and remove lost objects, it costs between DKK 1,200 and DKK 1,500.
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Stine Bendsen, head of department for the Road Directorate's Traffic Center, emphasizes the importance of securing goods correctly: "I cannot emphasize often enough how important it is that you secure your load properly. When there are loose objects on the roadway, it creates dangerous situations if someone drives into them, but it also creates unrest among road users, who slow down or try to avoid it.”
The Swedish Roads Administration encourages you to check trailers and bike racks an extra time to avoid these dangerous situations. If the police discover that goods are not properly secured, this can result in a fine.
Between 200 and 500 times a month, the Norwegian Road Administration moves out to deal with lost goods that are considered acutely dangerous. The problem is particularly pronounced in the summer, when many choirs with trailers filled with garden waste and building materials in connection with renovation projects.
The objects that are dropped on the roads often come from vans and lorries, but also from ordinary motorists who have not secured their goods correctly.
Lost objects most often occur on the major motorways in the capital area, but Østjyske Motorvej also has a high number of exits to remove lost goods.
Stine Bendsen urges road users to be extra careful if they see lost objects on the roads, and to contact the Road Directorate's Traffic Center on tel. 80 20 20 60 if it constitutes an immediate danger. If the objects are in the ditch or along the roadside, you can use the Road Directorate's app "Giv et praj" to report it.
Last year, the Road Directorate's roadblock vehicles were sent out 4,183 times to remove lost goods. It underlines how important it is to properly secure your load so that the roads remain safe.
