Norwegian National Travel Survey 2009

The Norwegian National Travel Survey 2009 (RVU 2009) is the sixth national survey of travel behaviour conducted in Norway. The first was done in 1985, the next four in 1992, 1998, 2001 and 2005. The Norwegian National Travel Surveys cover personal travel of all types, including short trips taken on a daily basis and longer journeys undertaken less frequently, as well as all modes of transport, including walking. The purpose of the Norwegian National Travel Surveys is to obtain information on people’s travel activity and travel patterns.

Data on the travel activities of the population is important for both national and local transport planning. The results are used as the basis for the development of transport models, estimates, exposure calculations in road safety work, and in a number of research projects. National travel surveys are also important for background comparisons and evaluations of surveys tied to more spesific modes of transportation or geographical regions,

In the Norwegian National Travel Survey 2009, about 29 000 people from 13 years have been interviewed. Around 10,000 of them constitute a representative sample of the entire country; the remainder is supplementary regional samples. The survey provides information on travel frequency, trip purposes and travel mode, and on how travel behaviour varies with age, gender, income, place of residence etc. In 2009 the average citizen made 3.3 trips per day. Most trips are short, 42 per cent being shorter than three kilometres. The car is used on 63 per cent of the daily trips, either as driver, 52 per cent, or as a passenger, 11 per cent. 4 per cent are made by bicycle and 22 per cent on foot, while 10 per cent are carried out by public transport. During a month, 53 per cent of the population makes one or more long distance journeys (trips of 100 km or longer one-way and trips abroad). Within Norway 68 per cent of these trips are made by car, while 15 per cent are made by plane.

The survey consists of 3 files: person file, short travels and longer travels. This is a merging of these. Each seperate file is available by request.