Police Want To Ban Small Cars From Some Parts of the Icelandic Highlands

The Chief Superintendent of the Police believes that small cars should be forbidden from crossing some glacial rivers and mountain passes, RÚV reports. He also believes this necessitates more obvious signage in more languages warning travelers not to travel into certain areas in a small car.

There have been ten fatal accidents this year in South Iceland alone. The tenth happened just the day before yesterday, when a woman drowned in the Steinsholtsá river while attempting to cross it in a sedan.

Sveinn Kristján Rúnarsson, the Chief Superintendent of Police in South Iceland, believes that signs saying ‘4×4 only’ is not enough, as even small cars can have four-wheel drive.

“Signs, information, and warning signs simply need to be more common,” he told reporters. “They need to be in more languages and be easier to understand, because this area is dangerous. Glacial rivers and rivers without bridges are just dangerous [to cross].”

While Sveinn says he is reluctant to talk about a ban, “I believe that some roads ought to be simply forbidden to certain cars.”

If you are taking a route in your travels around the country that will involve crossing rivers, be sure that you are driving a jeep. The extra expense you pay out may end up saving your life.