Police engaged in special control operation of heavy vehicle traffic last week 8 - 14 February 2021 throughout the country. All police departments participated in the special control operation, which was part of the Europe-wide enforcement theme of the European Roads Policing Network (ROADPOL).
According to chief Superintendent Kari Onninen of the National Police Board the special theme for the control operation period was the monitoring of factors causing inattention in professional drivers during driving time. Sanctions for inattention in traffic were imposed in 63 cases. The number slightly decreased from the equivalent intensive control operation period in the previous year.
No improvement in the number of driving time and rest period infringements
-The number of driving time and rest period infringements was still unreasonably high in comparison to the number of vehicles inspected. There has still been no change for the better, Onninen utters.
A total of 376 driving time and rest period infringements were discovered. The number increased from the equivalent control operation period in the previous year by 108 (+ 40 percent, in 2020, there were 268 infringements).
Correspondingly, the number of inspected vehicles rose by 36 percent, hence, the number of infringements has remained on almost the same level in comparison to the number of vehicles inspected.
Sanctions were imposed in 69 cases due to malfunctions. In 11 of these cases, the journey had to be discontinued completely.
Inadequate fastening of the load had to be intervened with 64 times (in 2020 control 55 times)
Almost 2,500 vehicles were inspected in the control operation.
During the control operation period a total of 2,427 heavy vehicles were inspected, which clearly exceeded the predetermined national control operation target. Approximately 16 percent of the vehicles inspected were foreign vehicles.
A total of 543 different sanctions were imposed on the drivers and in addition almost 330 admonitions were given. Some of the drivers were given sanctions for more than one violation.
The aim of the operation is to improve road safety and combat crime associated with the shadow economy and transport. The focus of surveillance was targeted at the most prominent issues detected during the previous campaigns, such as compliance with driving hours and rest periods, fastening of the load, and the overall condition of the vehicles.
