Finland

Finland Wins European Transport Safety Council’s Road Safety Prize for 2024

Finland is the recipient of the 2024 European Transport Safety Council prize for outstanding progress in road safety.  

The country reduced road deaths by a substantial 29% over the decade to 2023, while the average decline in the EU was just 16%.

The accolade, known as the Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) award, recognises Finland’s progress in road safety and is a testament to the country’s long-term targets and comprehensive strategy for improving the road safety of all road users.

Friday, May 26, 2023
Fitness to drive issues in Finland: From marginalized issue to national strategy
Typically in road safety the official road accident statistics is used. However these statistics typically exclude suicides and fatalities that are due to natural causes. In Driving License directive these health issues are recognized. The magnitude of health problems in road traffic may be grossly underestimated, if only official road safety statistics are used.

Often there are known mental illnesses connected with suicides. Third major health issue is substance dependency. Alcohol has been a traditional problem but in recent years drug use has grown. Health issues are present in about half of the fatal road accidents according to the Finnish road accident investigation teams.

How to tackle issues young people are facing on the road?

Improving road safety in general will help to improve the safety of young drivers, but there is a need for additional measures specifically targeted at young drivers. Young people aged 15–24 are overrepresented in traffic accidents in Finland, which is also in accordance with the rest of Europe. Thus, we need to influence policy makers to apply the scientific findings on how to actively increase road safety among young drivers.

7 March 2023 12:00 – 16:00
Improving Road Safety for Young Drivers
Teams - online event
Finland

Organizing in-depth investigations and upkeeping its database, upkeeping claims statistics, driving school material, reports

The Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre (FMIC) is a cooperation body of motor insurance companies in Finland. Their joint traffic safety efforts are coordinated and supervised by the Traffic Safety Committee of Insurance Companies (VALT), a body appointed by the Board of the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre. Based on legislation (Act 24/2001) the FMIC organizes the investigation of road and cross-country traffic accidents and upkeeps the accident database. In Finland, every fatal road and cross-country accident is investigated in-depth and on-the-spot by multidisciplinary investigation teams.

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