Helsinki did not record any deaths linked to road traffic during the past year, the municipal officials of the Finnish capital revealed this week, reported the media of politico political information on Saturday.
Although Helsinki is one of the smallest capitals in the EU, with just under 690,000 inhabitants, around 1.5 million people commute in its agglomeration. According to Roni Utriainen, engineer in road traffic in the city’s urban environment division, this remarkable performance is due to “many factors […] But speed limitations are one of the most important ”.
Based on data showing that the risk of pedestrian death is half reduced when the speed of impact of a car goes from 40 to 30 kilometers per hour, the municipal authorities imposed this lower limit in most residential areas and the city center of Helsinki in 2021.
The city has also invested in new infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, including a complete network of cycle paths extending over 1,500 kilometers. It has strengthened its public transport network with decarbon and autonomous buses, and has received funding from the European Investment Bank for a new tram line.
Despite the fact that the number of deaths on the roads is down across the EU, with a decrease of 3 % in 2024, accidents with tragic consequences remain frequent in metropolitan areas, notes still politico.
In 2023, 7,807 people lost their lives in road accidents in the cities of the European Union. Last year, 55 people died in road accidents in Berlin, and nine people lost their lives in collisions in the Brussels region in the past 12 months.
