Visible policing makes the journey to school safer

As the new school term begins, visible police traffic enforcement serves as a reminder that a safe journey to school does not happen by chance. It is not just a matter of speed limits, pedestrian crossings or penalties, but of proactive safety work in the places where children, families and other road users meet every day. A visible police presence calms traffic, highlights everyday risks in built-up areas and reinforces confidence that our shared public spaces are being looked after.

The start of the school term brings road safety into focus

The presence of police near schools, at pedestrian crossings or in built-up areas helps to calm traffic before dangerous situations even arise. It increases the perceived risk of being caught, serves as a reminder of common traffic rules and highlights the fact that even seemingly minor choices can have a significant impact in children’s travel environment.

Even slight speeding near a school can reduce the time a driver has to spot a child, assess the situation and stop safely. Speed affects not only the stopping distance or the consequences of a collision, but also how the street changes as a space. The faster vehicles travel, the more space they require, and the more the street begins to prioritise through traffic at the expense of other activities. From a child’s perspective, a safe street is one where the speed of motorised traffic and the use of space do not crowd out walking, cycling and safe road crossing. (See Joutsiniemi 2026.)

The significance of speed is internationally recognised as a fundamental issue in road safety. According to the WHO, speed affects both the likelihood of an accident and the severity of its consequences. From a pedestrian’s perspective, a speed limit of 30 km/h is significantly safer than higher speeds, as the risk of serious injury and death increases rapidly as the impact speed rises. 

The ETSC also recommends safe routes to school and 30 km/h speed limits in the vicinity of schools and other areas with high numbers of children, pedestrians or cyclists. (See WHO 2017 and 2021; ETSC 2022 and 2026.)

Visible policing helps prevent dangerous situations

The presence of police near schools, at pedestrian crossings or in built-up areas helps to calm traffic before dangerous situations even arise. It increases the perceived risk of being caught, serves as a reminder of common traffic rules and highlights the fact that even seemingly minor choices can have a significant impact in children’s travel environment.

Even slight speeding near a school can reduce the time a driver has to spot a child, assess the situation and stop safely. Speed affects not only the stopping distance or the consequences of a collision, but also how the street changes as a space. The faster vehicles travel, the more space they require, and the more the street begins to prioritise through traffic at the expense of other activities. From a child’s perspective, a safe street is one where the speed of motorised traffic and the use of space do not crowd out walking, cycling and safe road crossing. (See Joutsiniemi 2026.)

The significance of speed is internationally recognised as a fundamental issue in road safety. According to the WHO, speed affects both the likelihood of an accident and the severity of its consequences. From a pedestrian’s perspective, a speed limit of 30 km/h is significantly safer than higher speeds, as the risk of serious injury and death increases rapidly as the impact speed rises. 

The ETSC also recommends safe routes to school and 30 km/h speed limits in the vicinity of schools and other areas with high numbers of children, pedestrians or cyclists. (See WHO 2017 and 2021; ETSC 2022 and 2026.)

Previous police enforcement records highlight the everyday risks of urban traffic

Findings from school-start enforcement operations between 2023 and 2025 show that the risks of urban traffic are not limited to a single issue. Enforcement operations focus on pre-defined targets and categories of offences, with speeding constituting the largest group in terms of the number of offences recorded. In addition, themed enforcement operations record observations and offences relating to, amongst other things, driver distraction, safety equipment, pedestrian crossing and parking situations, as well as cycling and light electric vehicles. This is illustrated in the accompanying figure, which shows the key categories of observations relative to 100 hours of enforcement between 2023 and 2025.

The observation categories monitored during these patrols relate to known risk factors associated with journeys to school and urban traffic. Speed affects a driver’s reaction and stopping times, their willingness to stop, and the consequences of a potential collision. Inattention diverts the driver’s gaze and attention away from the traffic situation, whilst safety equipment mitigates personal injury in the event of a collision or other accident. At pedestrian crossings and in parking situations, on the other hand, visibility, the duty to give way and the child’s ability to cross the road safely are key factors.

In the vicinity of schools, these factors are interlinked: a study on school journeys in Helsinki (Neulasalmi 2025), factors threatening children’s independent mobility were identified as including, amongst others, high traffic volumes, vehicle speeds, inadequate or hazardous traffic arrangements, and disruptions caused by drop-off traffic in the vicinity of schools. Kircher and Ahlström’s (2023) study on the visual behaviour of children and young people whilst cycling to school highlights that children’s safety is also influenced by the extent to which the traffic environment requires simultaneous observation from different directions. In the study, children and young people were generally attentive on their familiar routes, but an increase in the number of objects to observe simultaneously raised the likelihood that some key objects would be overlooked. For this reason, the monitoring of speeds, pedestrian crossings, parking, driver distraction, safety equipment, and cycling and light electric vehicles all form part of the same overall safety framework near schools.

The number of speeding offences detected has increased between 2023 and 2025, whilst the level of speeding offences leading to fines has remained fairly stable – the increase may therefore be concentrated in particular on less serious offences dealt with by traffic fines. This should not be interpreted directly as a deterioration in road user behaviour, as the number of offences detected also depends on enforcement working hours, the focus of enforcement, enforcement locations and recording practices. Observations relating to driver distraction will also increase significantly in 2023–2024 and remain at a higher level in 2025 as well, which may reflect the use of technical devices in urban traffic. The 2026 Road Safety Week will therefore emphasise the importance of leaving mobile phones in one’s pocket whilst driving (see National Board of Education 2026).

During themed enforcement campaigns, fewer offences involving jaywalking have been recorded than speeding offences, but their safety implications are significant, as the vast majority of accidents involving primary school-aged pedestrians occur precisely whilst crossing the road. For example, simply passing a vehicle that has stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing can pose a serious risk to a child. (See Liikenneturva 2026a.) Micro-mobility – electric scooters, cycling on pavements, riding in the wrong direction, carrying passengers and riding whilst under the influence – has also emerged in the records as a factor affecting safety in the immediate vicinity of schools. However, caution is advised when making year-on-year comparisons due to the expansion of the breakdown of data in 2025.

Attitudes and setting an example make a difference on the roads

Many of the dangerous choices seen near schools – speeding, using a mobile phone whilst driving, failing to wear a seatbelt, or stopping in a place that blocks a child’s view – are ultimately also forms of carelessness. It is not just a matter of a single mistake or ignorance of the highway code, but of how the safety of others is taken into account in everyday traffic situations.

Road behaviour is not determined solely by knowledge of the rules, but also by the social context. Research into peer influence helps us understand why risky behaviour cannot be viewed solely as an individual’s own decision. A group situation can alter what attracts attention, how the risk of being caught is assessed, and how risk-taking is perceived. The presence of peers can make risk-taking more appealing, and active encouragement or group dynamics can reinforce this effect. (See Hoeben & Thomas 2019.) In traffic around schools and built-up areas, this can be seen, for example, in friends distracting one another from paying attention to traffic, encouraging show-off behaviour, or turning cycling, e-scooter riding or moped use into more of a social occasion than a safe journey.

It is not just about young people. Children, too, learn road safety behaviour by observing adults: how people drive near schools, whether they stop at pedestrian crossings, and whether they use mobile phones whilst driving. A visible police presence acts as a counterbalance to the social cues that reinforce risky behaviour. It reinforces the norm that, in children’s surroundings, people should move about calmly, anticipate situations and be considerate of others.

A safe journey to school is also an experience

At its best, road safety is also a joint effort. The ‘Rose Patrols’ held annually at Huovila School in Muhos, Northern Ostrobothnia, illustrate this well: in these campaigns organised by the police and the parents’ association, school pupils reward drivers who follow the road rules with roses. When a driver encounters both a police officer and a child at the same time, the message can get through in a different way than through punishment alone. Such practical actions serve as a concrete reminder of whose safety is at stake near the school and that road safety is a shared responsibility for the whole of society.

Safety in the street environment is not limited to traffic signs, speed limits or penalties. A safe street involves both the actual absence of risk and the perception that the environment is controlled, predictable and safe for children. Individual hazardous situations, near-misses or perceived threats in traffic can quickly alter that experience. Therefore, the safety of streets near schools is not based solely on accident statistics or enforcement results, but also on the experience that the environment supports children’s mobility. (See Kaakinen & Nuotio 2026.)

The research literature points out that the street environment provides people with cues regarding safety or insecurity. Busy traffic, or traffic that feels uncontrolled, can undermine perceived safety and reduce the natural surveillance provided by pedestrians and residents. (See Pina-Sánchez & Davies 2026; Miethe & Venger 2022; ITF 2022.) Thematic policing at the start of the school term can also be seen as a safety signal: a police car near a school, foot patrols near pedestrian crossings or intervening to stop mobile phone use all signal that attention is being paid to the area.

Data helps to target enforcement

Enforcement records do not merely indicate the number of observations; they also help to interpret which risk factors are most prevalent in traffic around schools and in built-up areas, and how these change over time. Alongside common national priorities, a local picture of the situation is needed to determine whether, for example, speeding, driver distraction, pedestrian crossing incidents or micro-mobility are particularly prevalent in a given area – this allows enforcement to be targeted even more precisely at the right locations and situations.

This is complemented by local experiential knowledge: routes, danger spots, near-misses and families’ everyday observations, which do not always feature in accident statistics (see Traficom 2024; Joutsiniemi 2026). This information is therefore not merely retrospective reporting, but forms part of preventative work. It can be used to identify recurring problems and justify the targeting of enforcement. In this sense, traffic policing around schools is more than just enforcing traffic rules. It is visible, preventative and evidence-based policing.

A safe journey to school ultimately stems from small everyday choices: slowing down, keeping an eye on the traffic, respecting pedestrian crossings, and viewing the school environment as a space where children move about, not merely as a place to pass through.

Sources

• European Transport Safety Council: 6000 children died on EU roads in ten years. ETSC, 4.10.2022. ETSC 
• European Transport Safety Council: 75% of surveyed cities report fewer road deaths and injuries after lowering speed limits. ETSC, 21.4.2026. ETSC  
• Hoeben, Evelien M. & Thomas, Kyle J.: Peers and offender decision-making. Criminology & Public Policy 18(4) 2019, 759–784. CPP 
• International Transport Forum: Safer City Streets. ITF, 2022. ITF
• Joutsiniemi, Anssi: Katu-unelmien anatomia: nopeuden, tilan ja hallinnan paradoksi. Teoksessa Laura Kolbe, Mikko Posti, Jussi Jännes & Meena Lindroos (toim.): Unelmien katu: menneisyys, nykyhetki ja tulevaisuus. Kaupunkitutkimusinstituutti Urbaria, Helsingin yliopisto 2026. Unelmien katu 
• Kaakinen, Markus & Nuotio, Kimmo: Turvallinen katu. Teoksessa Laura Kolbe, Mikko Posti, Jussi Jännes & Meena Lindroos (toim.): Unelmien katu: menneisyys, nykyhetki ja tulevaisuus. Kaupunkitutkimusinstituutti Urbaria, Helsingin yliopisto 2026. Unelmien katu 
• Kircher, Katja & Ahlström, Christer: Children and youngster’s gaze behaviour when cycling in familiar environments. Journal of Cycling and Micromobility Research 1 2023, 100006. JCMR 
• Liikenneturva: Turvallisen koulumatkan suunnittelu ja harjoittelu. Liikenneturva. Liikenneturva 
• Miethe, Terance D. & Venger, Olesya: Public perceptions of dangerous places: Sources of variability in evaluating criminogenic environments. Security Journal 35(3) 2022, 725–753. SJ 
• Neulasalmi, Saana: Traffic safety of school journeys in Helsinki – Assessing the traffic environment of school surroundings. Master’s thesis, Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering. Aalto University 2025. Aalto 
• Opetushallitus: Liikenneturvallisuusviikko kannustaa keskittymään liikenteeseen ilman puhelinta – merkitse syksyn teemaviikko jo kalenteriisi. Opetushallitus, 23.4.2026. OPH 
• Pina-Sánchez, Jose & Davies, Toby: Exploring the Effect of Motor Traffic on Street Crime. KrimOJ 8(2) 2026. KrimOJ
• Traficom: Hyviä käytäntöjä lasten ja nuorten kestävän ja turvallisen liikkumisen edistämiseen. Traficom, 2024. Traficom 
• World Health Organization: Managing speed. WHO 10.10.2017. WHO 
• World Health Organization: Streets for Life: #Love30. Evidence to tackle misconceptions. WHO / UN Road Safety Week 2021. WHO