Iceland review - 2016, Side 110

108 ICELAND REVIEW ICELAND REVIEW 109
Zigzagging
Compared to those of other European countries, Icelandic
roads are narrow and winding. They are also flanked by
beautiful scenery, so it can sometimes be difficult to stay
focused on the road and remember to regularly peek at the
speedometer. The maximum speed limit in Iceland is 90 km/h
(55 mph) on paved roads, and 80 km/h (50 mph) on unpaved
ones. Keep in mind that it is strictly forbidden to drive off-road
as it results in serious damage to sensitive vegetation, which
may take nature decades to repair.
The greatest dangers you face when driving in Iceland, apart
from the icy and snowy road conditions common from Septem-
ber until May, which sometimes result in temporary road clo-
sures, are livestock (usually sheep) on the road and transitioning
from asphalt to gravel at full speed, or meeting a car on one of
the single lane bridges which are found all around Iceland.
There are still 39 single lane bridges on the 1,400 km (875
mile) long Ring Road 1, circling Iceland. The first ones, driving
from Reykjavík, are about 150 km (90 miles) north or east of the
capital. And the farther you go from the capital region, the more
common they become. Icelandic law requires that vehicle head-
lights be on at all times, day and night, when driving.
But driving in Iceland is not all about danger. And some roads
are more scenic than others—like the 100-km (60-mile) long
stretch of the Ring Road between Höfn and Djúpivogur in the
east; or Route 61 between Hólmavík and Ísafjörður in the West
Fjords; Route 85 between Vopnafjörður and Þórshöfn, North-
east Iceland; and Route 574 from Arnarstapi to Ólafsvík, on
Snæfellsnes peninsula.
Some of the highland roads, like F208, Fjallabak, from Land-
mannalaugar to Hólaskjól, are very beautiful, but ‘F’ in front of
the road number indicates that you need an SUV to cross all the
unbridged rivers and brooks crossing the road. All F roads in the
highlands are closed to traffic due to snow from mid-September
until late June, or early July.
Before every journey in Iceland, drivers should take a look
at three informative online resources: the Icelandic Association
for Search and Rescue’s travel website, safetravel.is, the web-
site of the Icelandic Met Office, en.vedur.is and the website of
the Road and Coastal Administration, road.is, which covers road
and weather conditions of all of the 13,000 km (8,000 miles) of
roads zigzagging the country.
INTRODUCTION AND PHOTO BY PÁLL STEFÁNSSON. SUPPLEMENT COMPILED BY ALËX ELLIOTT, JENNA GOTTLIEB AND LARISSA KYZER.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONDRIVING AROUND ICELAND
Road 85,
between Vopnafjörður
and Bakkafjörður.