Poliisi valvoo turvalaitteiden käyttöä tehostetusti
Police to step up surveillance of the use of safety devices in traffic

Publication date 5.3.2021 13.04 | Published in English on 5.3.2021 at 13.10
News item

Next week, from 8 to 14 March, the police will conduct a nationwide special monitoring operation focusing on the use of safety devices in the car, and factors causing inattention in traffic.

Monitoring of driver inattention will focus on activities and factors that affect the driver’s concentration on driving or observation of other traffic. 

“Typically, inattention to traffic is due to phone use while driving. The risk of a traffic accident increases many times over, if drivers make phone calls or write text messages while driving,” says Chief Superintendent Timo Ajaste of the National Police Board. 

According to an estimate by the European Commission, inattention is one of the contributing risk factors in 10–30 per cent of traffic accidents.

Seatbelts must be secured in the back seat as well

Data in the 2019 annual report by the Finnish Crash Data Institute (OTI) reveals that almost one half (45%) of those who died in traffic accidents when travelling in a car or van, were not wearing a seat belt. Road accident investigation teams have estimated that one out of three (21%) casualties of fatal road accidents would have survived had their seatbelts been secured.

“According to a follow-up study by Liikenneturva - Finnish Road Safety Council, the utilisation rate of seatbelts is quite high in the front seat of passenger cars. However, seat belts are too often left unsecured on the back seat of passenger cars and in vans. The aim of the police is the comprehensive use of seat belts to make use of the full safety potential that seatbelts provide,” says Ajaste.   

The safest place for a child is a child safety seat in the back of the vehicle

Ajaste points out that special attention must be paid to the safety of children in vehicles. 

“The back seat is the safest place for a child in a car. The Road Traffic Act requires a child to travel in a safety seat in a car, van or lorry until the child is taller than 135 cm. The guardian travelling with the child is responsible for ensuring that the appropriate safety equipment is used when the child travels in a car. If the child’s guardian is not present, the driver of the vehicle is responsible,” says Timo Ajaste.

Front page top news National Police Board News Traffic