"The main problem was that the new concept caused confusion among the road users. The drivers of the cars that were first in line did not understand that they were supposed to follow the escort car; instead, they remained waiting for the road block to be removed. The fact that the instructions were given only in Finnish also caused problems for foreign drivers. However, with a little guidance we were always able to get the lines going", says Risto Lappalainen, Occupational Health and Safety Manager at the Finnish Transport Agency.
Even though it took longer for traffic to pass through the road construction sites with escort vehicles, severe traffic congestions could be avoided in most of the country. The only severe traffic congestion could be seen on Vihdintie (Public Road 120), as a result of road users trying to find alternative routes due to bridge repairs on the Ring Roads.
Despite the time loss caused when driving behind an escort car, road users appreciated not having to think about where they were or were not allowed to drive. The escort car made it easier to bypass the road construction site and maintain the reduced speed limit.