Five people were transported to hospital yesterday after being injured in a car accident near Hjörleifshöfði, South Iceland. Four were discharged this morning.
The people, who are Chinese visitors, were driving a jeep along Route 1 when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Road and weather conditions were ideal, according to information from the Selfoss Police Department, and speed is not believed to have been a factor in the accident.
Read more: A few tips about driving in Iceland
According to Morgublaðið newspaper, police are currently investigating the cause of the crash. It is believed the front-wheel of the vehicle drifted to the gravel edge of the road and the driver’s inexperience caused him to jolt the vehicle back onto the road, hence losing control of it. The passengers were not believed to be wearing seatbelts as Icelandic laws require.
Recent data from the Icelandic Transport Authority show the number of foreign travellers involved in car accidents has increased considerably between years. During the first six months of 2015, 143 foreign travellers were injured in car crashes in Iceland, compared to 85 during the same period in 2014.
Inexperience and the incorrect response to unforeseen events are the two major causes of car accidents among foreign travellers in Iceland. Another reason, according to Sævar Helgi Lárusson, a specialist at the Icelandic Transport Authority, is that foreign travellers are less likely to use seatbelts than Icelandic motorists.
Five people were transported to hospital yesterday after being injured in a car accident near Hjörleifshöfði, South Iceland. Four were discharged this morning.
The people, who are Chinese visitors, were driving a jeep along Route 1 when the driver lost control of the vehicle. Road and weather conditions were ideal, according to information from the Selfoss Police Department, and speed is not believed to have been a factor in the accident.
Read more: A few tips about driving in Iceland
According to Morgublaðið newspaper, police are currently investigating the cause of the crash. It is believed the front-wheel of the vehicle drifted to the gravel edge of the road and the driver’s inexperience caused him to jolt the vehicle back onto the road, hence losing control of it. The passengers were not believed to be wearing seatbelts as Icelandic laws require.
Recent data from the Icelandic Transport Authority show the number of foreign travellers involved in car accidents has increased considerably between years. During the first six months of 2015, 143 foreign travellers were injured in car crashes in Iceland, compared to 85 during the same period in 2014.
Inexperience and the incorrect response to unforeseen events are the two major causes of car accidents among foreign travellers in Iceland. Another reason, according to Sævar Helgi Lárusson, a specialist at the Icelandic Transport Authority, is that foreign travellers are less likely to use seatbelts than Icelandic motorists.
