Ignored “Road Impassable” Sign, Got Stuck, Required Rescue

The rescue squad needed to be deployed after a group of tourists allegedly ignored a sign indicating that a road was impassable, drove onwards, and got their vehicle stuck in poor conditions, RÚV reports.

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The event in question happened on New Year’s Day in Öxnadalsheiði. High winds and snow in the North Iceland area necessitated great caution when driving, and the sign closing the road was written in both Icelandic and English. These signs were allegedly ignored, leading to fairly predictable results.

Gunnlaugur Búi Ólafsson, the chair of the rescue squad Súlna, dismissed the idea that those who get themselves in a rescue situation through their own negligence should be charged a fee for their own rescue.

“It’s been our policy to just leave this subject alone,” he told reporters. “Because we would much rather want that people call us when they need help, rather than be reluctant to do so because they know they’ve maybe done something wrong,” and will not want to be charged a fee, leading to an even worse situation for the people in question requiring rescue.

Iceland’s weather is notoriously unpredictable, and getting behind the wheel in the countryside especially will require some extra caution. Fortunately, Safe Travel is on hand as your one-stop information centre for weather and road conditions all over the country. Do refer to the site before you hit the road.