The police will monitor pedestrian crossings next week from 10 to 14 September, particularly safety and compliance with pedestrian crossing rules. This will mainly occur in the vicinity of schools, since National Road Safety Day for Schools will be held in the same week.
Last year, almost two thirds of accidents that caused fatalities among pedestrians happened in urban areas, and so did a substantial share of the pedestrian accidents that caused injuries. Almost one third of the victims died on pedestrian crossings. In addition, half of all injuries to pedestrians have occurred on pedestrian crossings, over a quarter of these involving children or youths and a third elderly people.
“Accidents at pedestrian crossings tend to be the sum of many factors. The risk of an accident occurring on a pedestrian crossing is increased by inattention or driving errors by motorists. However, the biggest single reason is usually failure by drivers to take on board the true significance of pedestrian crossings and their own obligations when approaching one,” says Heikki Kallio , Chief Superintendent with the National Police Board.
Drivers must give way to pedestrians
Kallio points out that the law is clear, stating that the driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian crossing must drive at a speed at which they can stop before reaching the crossing, if necessary.
“Drivers must give way to pedestrians who are either on, or stepping onto, a pedestrian crossing. A vehicle or tram that has stopped at a pedestrian crossing, or restricts an overtaking driver's view of the crossing, cannot be overtaken without stopping, unless there is a free lane or traffic island between the overtaker and the vehicle being overtaken,” says Kallio.
Kallio urges drivers to avoid creating such situations during rush hours in particular i.e., they should stop in good time before reaching pedestrian crossings in order to prevent the formation of so-called ‘guillotines’.
Drivers should lower their speed in every case
Kallio states that the drivers of vehicles, including non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles, should slow down ahead of pedestrian crossings, if pedestrians who might head, or are clearly heading, for a pedestrian crossing are nearby, and must be prepared to give way to pedestrians who are already on or stepping onto a pedestrian crossing.
Monitoring will be focused in the vicinity of schools
During the monitoring period, the police will focus on pedestrian crossings close to schools and uncontrolled by traffic lights, because the most serious accidents have occurred in places uncontrolled by traffic lights.
Accidents tend to be concentrated in the morning and afternoon rush hours.
“In addition to compliance with pedestrian crossing rules and traffic lights, the monitoring will be targeted at all activities that might affect the attention of drivers, such as the use of mobile phones,” says Heikki Kallio.
