The latest traffic safety report from the Finnish Police highlights a positive trend in road safety throughout 2024.
Increased enforcement measures, a decline in drink-driving offences, and a continued reduction in road fatalities demonstrate the effectiveness of targeted police operations. , These improvements are the result of more strategic and data-driven enforcement, say ROADPOL Council member Assistant Police Commissioner Pasi Rissanen, head of Road Safety and Traffic Control at the National Police Board of Finland, and Mika Sutela, an analyst in the Analysis Operations of the National Police Board specializing in emergency response, law enforcement, and traffic safety analysis in a recent article.
Enforcement
The latest figures on police enforcement actions, effectiveness indicators, and new traffic monitoring indices all confirm that enforcement efforts in 2024 have been impactful. The Finnish Traffic Safety Strategy 2022-2026 aims to halve road fatalities and reduce serious injuries by 2030, targeting a maximum of 100 road deaths by that year. „Achieving this goal requires legislative advancements, safer infrastructure, improved emergency response, and continued police intervention. Preliminary data from Statistics Finland shows that 171 people lost their lives in road traffic in 2024. While this number will likely increase as figures are finalized, the downward trend remains encouraging“, says Rissanen.
Monitoring
In 2024, the police concentrated enforcement on factors affecting driving ability—such as intoxication, medication, driver health, and fatigue—as well as risky driving behaviors. Speeding and alcohol use remain the leading contributors to road fatalities. By analyzing data, the police effectively targeted enforcement at high-risk locations and times, ensuring broad coverage across different road types and periods. Key enforcement highlights from 2024 include an increase of 9,000 police traffic enforcement actions (excluding breathalysers) compared to 2023, over 78,000 more breathalyser tests conducted than in the previous year and a decrease in reported drink-driving offences, suggesting enforcement plays a role in deterrence.
Drink-driving accidents typically peak in the summer months. The police intensified enforcement campaigns in July 2023 and 2024, successfully reducing the number of victims in alcohol-related crashes. Between 2015 and 2022, drink-driving accidents in July consistently resulted in at least 70 casualties, with an average of 76. In 2023 and 2024, this figure dropped to around 40-50, signaling the effectiveness of targeted enforcement.
Approaches
Serious road safety incidents reported to the police in 2024 remained in line with previous years. However, automated traffic surveillance measures, particularly for speed enforcement, increased. Since speeding is a major factor in fatal crashes, expanding automated enforcement remains a priority. In addition to traditional enforcement metrics, the police introduced new traffic safety indices in 2023, including the traffic enforcement index and the traffic offence index. Both indices indicate an improvement in police traffic safety work, reinforcing the credibility of enforcement strategies.
Future
Despite the progress made in reducing road deaths, the ambitious 2030 goal requires sustained and expanded efforts. The Finnish Police will continue prioritizing high-risk factors such as speeding and intoxication. “We have increased our visibility on the roads, focusing on intensified drink-driving enforcement during peak risk periods, particularly in the summer. Statistics show that targeted enforcement has successfully reduced drink-driving accidents,” says Rissanen. He also emphasizes the collective responsibility of road safety: “Reducing road fatalities is a national priority. Every road user has a role to play. Respecting traffic laws not only protects individuals but also enhances overall road safety.”