Police traffic enforcement and safety programme has been published, with the aim of reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries

The Ministry of the Interior has published a programme for police traffic enforcement and traffic safety for 2021–2030. The programme aims to reduce traffic fatalities, serious injuries, traffic accidents and traffic offences, as well as transportation crime and the grey economy in commercial traffic.

Although road safety has improved in the long term, the number of traffic deaths has not decreased in line with the goals in recent years. According to Statistics Finland, 221 people died in traffic accidents last year, compared with 211 in the previous year. This means that were more traffic deaths last year than in 2019.

”The aim of the police traffic enforcement and safety programme is to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries in particular. This requires effective and efficient measures to maintain and improve traffic safety,” says Chief Superintendent Jari Pajunen from the Ministry of the Interior.

The programme describes the road traffic operating environment and the current state of traffic safety and explains factors and measures affecting safety in order to maintain and promote traffic safety. In particular, the programme emphasises the role of cooperation in ensuring traffic safety.

”Cooperation and the exchange of information with the police, other authorities involved in road safety, as well as organisations and municipalities, for example, is very important. It is also absolutely essential that citizens want to cooperate with the police in order to promote traffic safety,” Pajunen continues.

The aim is also to combat the grey economy and traffic offences

Traffic enforcement is a key measure for the police to influence traffic safety and traffic offences. However, the fight against traffic offences also requires other comprehensive and well-targeted actions. 

”The programme aims to reduce the grey economy in commercial transport, prevent, detect and investigate traffic offences and transportation crime as well as submit such case to prosecutors for the consideration of charges. Achieving this goal requires effective exposure and prevention measures,” Pajunen says.

The programme does not assess the organisation or resourcing of police traffic control and safety work. The National Police Board is responsible for implementing the measures stated in the programme.

“We have established a multidisciplinary working group in the National Police Board, where we look at the roles of different operating sectors of the police in traffic safety work. In the working group, we will draw up an action and development plan for traffic control and safety by the end of this year in order to implement the programme. In the future, the aim is also to measure the effectiveness of police traffic control and communications even more accurately,” says Assistant Police Commissioner Hannu Kautto, who is responsible for traffic safety work at the National Police Board.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently preparing a national traffic safety strategy. The Ministry of the Interior and the National Police Board are involved in the preparation of the strategy.

Further information:
Chief Superintendent Jari Pajunen, tel. +358 295 488 576 (Police Department of the Ministry of the Interior);
Assistant Police Commissioner Hannu Kautto, tel. +358 295 481 866 (National Police Board)