The Finnish Police, Customs and Boarder Guard conducted a joint control campaign focusing on heavy traffic during the week from 6 to 10 February 2023. In addition to the joint effort, the Police organised its separate intensive heavy traffic controls.
The joint controls paid particular attention to smuggling (drugs, firearms, ammunition, explosives, snuff), to third country drivers’ right to be in the country and the control of the authenticity of the documents as well as to the products under sanctions (Eastern boarder at exit from the country).
The controls also focused on the operative order of the vehicle, the securing of the cargo and overloads.
During the controls, 231 checks under the Aliens Act were also performed, an increase of 60 cases compared to the year before. Seven cases of smuggling were discovered and 61 kg of snuff and some medical snuff was seized.
Sanctions for vehicles out of statutory order were issued in 74 cases (27 more than in 2022). In 20 cases (an increase of five cases), the vehicle was totally banned from driving any further.
Vehicles in increasingly bad shape
The sanctions for vehicles that were out of order were more frequent than earlier, and the number of total bans of driving also grew.
- This has been a distinct phenomenon in the recent control campaigns but also visible in day-to-day heavy traffic controls, Chief Superintendent Kari Onninen of the National Police Board points out.
The insufficient securing of the cargo caused 72 interventions while 12 overloads were found by the Police.
During the campaign, a total of 1465 heavy vehicles were controlled. This is an increase of about 250 cases on the corresponding campaign last year. About 16 percent of the controlled vehicles were registered abroad.
The number of sanctions issued on vehicles registered in Finland grew by 132 as compared to the corresponding campaign last year.
All in all, the Police working hours spent on the controls were about 2400 hours.
The objective of the control campaign is not only improved traffic safety but also the prevention of grey economy and traffic-related criminality. Similar to earlier corresponding campaigns, this year’s controls were targeted at the most evident problems, such as the non-compliance of prescribed driving and rest periods, at cargo securement and vehicle condition.
