No traffic fatalities have been recorded in the Finnish capital over the past 12 months. City officials reported this, calling the result “remarkable” not only for the country but for the whole of Europe.
Against the backdrop of a gradual decline in road deaths in the EU (down 3% in 2024), such results appear exceptional. Over the past year, 7,807 people have died in traffic accidents in EU cities. In Berlin, the figure was 55, and in the Brussels region, 9.
Read also: Diia launches beta testing of replacing car registration certificate
Despite its relatively small size — Helsinki itself has a population of less than 690,000, but together with its suburbs, the number of transport users reaches 1.5 million — the city has managed to achieve a goal that is considered almost unattainable for most European capitals.
According to Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer with the City Environment Department, reducing speed limits, installing surveillance cameras and changing the overall approach to urban planning played a key role in this.
In 2021, Helsinki reduced the speed limit in the city centre and residential areas to 30 km/h. Studies show that this halves the risk of pedestrian fatalities in collisions. Enforcement was provided by 70 new cameras, and the safety policy was based on the national Vision Zero concept.
In addition, the city has systematically rethought its urban space. Some roads have been narrowed and trees planted along them to make it more difficult for drivers to move around and force them to slow down. Infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists has been expanded: the length of cycle routes now exceeds 1,500 km. The city’s transport system has been supplemented with carbon-free and autonomous buses, as well as new tram lines built with the support of the European Investment Bank.
Thanks to these changes, the number of road injuries in Helsinki has fallen from 727 cases in 2003 to just 14 in 2023.
The European Commission has already taken note of Helsinki’s experience, as most EU countries are currently failing to meet the target of halving road deaths by 2030.
Read also: Veterans with disabilities can learn to drive for free
