The police will in particular monitor driving speeds in traffic on 18-24 October 2024. The focus of the operation will be on detecting speeding and the behaviour of young people in traffic.
Young drivers are over represented in traffic accidents
The police will monitor driving habits and speeds, with a focus on young people, since young people aged 15-24 in particular are over-represented in traffic accidents. Most fatal accidents involving the death of young people occur on Friday nights and there are almost as many on Saturday nights.
Relative to the population, the risk of death of young drivers is three times higher than that of the population as a whole. Last year, 34 young people under the age of 25 lost their lives on the roads. This is almost 20% of all road fatalities.
“Too high or inappropriate speed is a contributing factor in around a third of fatal road accidents,” says Chief Superintendent Heikki Kallio at the National Police Board.
Accidents at higher speeds can cause far more damage than accidents at lower speeds.
“Causing a serious traffic typically involves excessive speeding, more than 50 km/h over the permitted limit. Each year the police record around two thousand drivers aged 17−24 as suspects in causing a serious traffic hazard,” Chief Superintendent Kallio adds.
Young people account for almost half (45%) of all suspects recorded in causing a serious traffic hazard. Both overall and among young people, men account for up to 90% of suspects in incidents causing a serious traffic hazard.
Make sure you don’t lose your driving licence!
With their intensive traffic control operation, the police wish all road users a continued safe autumn.
