From 19 to 25 April, the Police controlled excessive speeding on a national scale, especially on the arterial highways. The controls were on 24/7, using all available control means and resources.
- The Police is concerned with the recent trend of increasing heavy speeding. During the control week, the risk of getting caught was increased and also communicated, Chief Superintendent Heikki Ihalainen of the National Police Board says.
During the week, the traditional Police traffic control input was 5 600 control hours. The number of speeders caught was 2 060 while 65 persons with a warrant of apprehension were found.
The Police automated traffic control performed its preventive work with about one thousand traffic surveillance cameras and 26 cars with automated control facilities.
Civilian cars also involved in controls
The Police departments have communicated the results of the traffic controls during the week.
- We hope we could have an impact on the most important issue, i.e., reduce the number of traffic accidents. By intervening with all speeding, we also impact the heaviest excess speeds. However, this time we tried to catch the most outrageous speeders with the help of Police civilian cars as well as the Police motorbikes that the Police departments in the South of Finland have already taken out this spring, Chief Superintendent Ihalainen adds.
According to him, controls are particularly necessary in springtime when car drivers change to summer tyres and motorcycles are back in traffic.
- Intensified speed controls are an ongoing activity along with other traffic controls, and conventional traffic controls also catch drunken drivers. In fact, the Police departments have also actively reported about these drivers in their communications during last week, Chief Superintendent Ihalainen concludes.
