Reckless drivers and drink-drivers caught by the police in Easter traffic

The police monitored traffic during the Easter holidays, focusing on the most congested areas for both outbound and return traffic. Police presence was clearly necessary, because many kinds of traffic violations were committed over the Easter break.

A total of 105 cases of aggravated endangering of traffic safety were recorded, most of them in Southern and Central Finland. In road traffic, 20 people were injured during the Easter holidays, but preliminary data indicates that no traffic fatalities occurred.

“Compared with last year, when five people were killed and 31 injured in Easter traffic, the trend seems to be developing in the right direction. Each and every one of us can influence these figures through the driving style we choose,” says Chief Superintendent Heikki Kallio of the National Police Board.

The police breathalyzed more than 17,000 drivers and detected 326 cases of suspected driving under the influence, of which one third, 106 cases, were aggravated. More than half of all of these cases were caused by alcohol.

“It seems that the weather that got warmer just in time for Easter and made driving conditions springlike, made some drivers neglect traffic safety. However, I urge everyone to keep calm in traffic. The police will continue active monitoring of spring traffic after Easter as well, and police motorcycles will soon rejoin the police force after the winter break throughout the country. Motorcycles are an excellent asset in traffic monitoring,” says Chief Superintendent Kallio.