Finland’s capital, Helsinki, has not had a recorded traffic death in the past 12 months, according to city and police authorities.
Why It Matters
Helsinki’s newest stat is a rare feat for a major city. The municipality has about 690,000 residents, with roughly 1.3 million in the capital region. By comparison, Washington, D.C., which has a population of just over 700,000, has recorded 12 traffic deaths so far this year and 52 last year.
The drop in traffic fatalities has come as the city has implemented various speed limits and bolstered public transit.
What To Know
The last recorded traffic death in Helsinki was in early July 2024. The city has recently undergone some safety and infrastructure changes, with more than half of the city’s streets having speed limits of 30 kilometers per hour, which is just under 20 miles per hour, Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer with the city’s Urban Environment Division, told Finland’s national public broadcaster, Yle, in July.
Traffic deaths are on the decline throughout the European Union (EU), a 3 percent decrease in 2024 than 2023. The EU has set a goal of zero road fatalities throughout the region by 2050, in an initiative called “Vision Zero.”
Finland has been working to improve traffic safety and prevent fatalities over the past several years, which has also lowered the total number of accidents resulting in injuries.
In addition to the lower speed limits, the city has spearheaded several initiatives, including investing and developing new pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, which includes a web of cycling paths that connect throughout the city, boosting public transit with a new tram line and self-driving buses, and increased security cooperation. The city also has a rigorous ticketing system and traffic law enforcement.
The country was awarded the 2024 Road Safety Performance Index prize by the European Transport Safety Council for its work to reduce road deaths and injuries.
What People Are Saying
Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer with the city’s Urban Environment Division, told Yle in July: “A lot of factors contributed to this, but speed limits are one of the most important… “Public transport in Helsinki is excellent, which reduces car use, and with it, the number of serious accidents.”
Adam Tranter, Founder & CEO of Fusion Media, said in an X post on Thursday: “Not a single person died on Helsinki’s roads in the last year. An impressive achievement which shows cities across the world that road traffic deaths are not inevitable.”
What Happens Next
Several European countries are working to meet their goals for reducing traffic deaths.
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