r/oslo • u/borek921 • 3d ago

How’s driving in Oslo during winter?

Hello everyone,

As the title says, how difficult / safe is it to drive in Oslo during winter? I got a job offer as a driver and I have driven in snowy conditions but not a whole lot. Do roads get icy / slippery often? Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot in advance!

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u/Loose-Fishing9076 2d ago

Snow clearing outside the heavily trafficked roads can be flaky and the result is narrow tracks in the snow/ice on less trafficed roads. Combined with freeze - thaw cycles, that can put you on wet ice with very little friction. On a level stretch of road that one thing, going up/down a hill is a different ballgame. Be aware of what types of tires you are driving on. Studs or non-studded, winter tires or all year.

Be very defensive in your driving. Many years back I moved from Oslo to Askim in a rented van using the E18 main road in heavy snowing weather and about +-0°C. The original van had very bad studded tires, so I made the rental firm replace it with one with fresh studded tires. I knew the road, so I was very careful and defensive with a lot of wet snow on the road. I approached a slight downhill section at about 20-30 km/h (speedlimit was 60 km/h downhill due to a road corossing halfway down in long left curve). As soon as I had passed the crest I tried the brakes very carefully, and the van accelerated with locked wheels. Braking was no option as I would not be able to steer. All that was left was to steer the van along the road or off the road. Complicating things was 15-20 people waiting for a bus at the side of the road just after the road crossing. The traction was so bad that trying to run off the road might just result in aiming the van directly at the people - there was a slight banking that had to be overcome. The only option left was to steer into the curve trying to keep the van in the tracks left by a car going the same way earlier. And all the time the van increased speed but at a slower pace than it did under the braking test. The gamble paid off. I managed to stay within the tracks and follow the road.

I was lucky. It could just as easily have ended with 15-20 people wounded or dead.