Goal: Guarantee good health and well-being for people of all ages

 
 

In the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s work, this goal is approached through the target By 2030, halve the number of deaths and injuries from road traffic accidents. 

Mobility is an essential part of people’s daily lives. The aim is to create a transport system in which human error does not lead to death or serious injury. Consequently, promoting traffic safety is a key part of sustainable development and, in particular, ensuring well-being and good health.

On average, about 200 people lose their lives and more than 850 are seriously injured in road traffic in Finland each year. Over the past 10 years, we have lagged clearly behind the other Nordic countries in road safety development. 

The EU’s long-term objective is ‘Vision Zero’, in other words reducing road deaths to close to zero by 2050. The underlying thought is the Safe System approach: people make human errors in traffic, but they should not lead to deaths or serious injuries. The starting point is the idea of shared responsibility, where different factors in the transport system compensate for each other’s shortcomings. Safety is improved proactively and by minimising risks. In addition to traffic infrastructure, traffic safety is influenced by road users and vehicles, for example

 

Image: Deaths and serious injuries can be prevented by reducing risks at all levels of safety in the transport system.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency plays an important role in promoting traffic safety, even if serious road accidents caused purely by the traffic environment are quite rare. Most accidents are the sum of several factors (including behaviour, traffic environment, conditions and the vehicle).

Together with the regional ELY Centres, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency promotes road safety by maintaining the road network in good condition and improving it, with the aim of minimising the risks caused by the road. Assessing traffic safety impacts is an essential part of infrastructure asset management. Road safety work also includes many other forms of cooperation at national and regional level. Continuous road safety work in cooperation with other authorities and players covers, for example, transport system planning, land use planning, mobility management, traffic control and traffic information.

 

Kuva: Tieliikenteessä maanteillä kuolleet 2010–2024 ja tavoitteen mukainen kehitys vuoteen 2030. 

The earlier target of halving fatalities and injuries on the roads was set for 2010–2020. While the number of deaths on roads maintained by the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency decreased during the previous target period, this reduction was too slow considering that the target was halving the figures (2010–2020) (-21%). The number of injuries reported to the police has reduced considerably more and is close to the target (-41%).

 

Image: Injuries sustained in road traffic between 2010 and 2024.

In the future, traffic safety work will focus on road deaths and serious injuries, for which a similar target of halving the figures has been set for 2020–2030. Statistics on serious injuries have been based on the EU’s common severity criterion in Finland since 2014. It should be noted that some serious injuries are excluded from statistics on road accidents known to the police, and no spatial data is available concerning them. In the new target period 2020–2030, the trend is developing in the right direction in the light of the accident figures.

The National Road Safety Strategy for 2022–2026 directs national road safety work. To achieve the ambitious road safety target of halving road deaths and serious injuries in 2020–2030, determined action will be required. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency actively participates in putting the strategy into practice. Among other things, the strategy stresses the importance of extensive cooperation between different administrative branches, knowledge-based decision-making and increasing the appreciation of traffic safety throughout society. The road safety measures for which the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is responsible include:

• Revising speed limit guidelines
• Allocating funding to minor traffic safety measures
• Ensuring the traffic safety impacts of development projects
• Improving conditions for walking and cycling
• Preventing level crossing accidents and trespassing on the railway
• Developing automated surveillance

It is estimated that the measures included in the impact assessment of the strategy will reduce road deaths by roughly 20 during the entire strategy period, of which measures targeted at the transport environment account for approx. 20%. The Ministry of Transport and Communications will start updating the strategy for the next five-year period in autumn 2025. 

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency plays an important role in implementing an amendment to the European Commission’s Road Infrastructure Safety Directive. This amendment aims at improving road infrastructure safety and, in particular, reducing road deaths and serious injuries. The amendment expands the directive’s scope to roads, motorways, semi-motorways and main roads included in the TEN-T network as well as the main roads referred to in the Decree on Main Transport Routes, amounting to a total of 6,570 kilometres. To comply with this amendment, procedures must be updated and new ones defined. 

The aim of the Road Infrastructure Safety Directive is to systematically and proactively analyse accident risks associated with road infrastructure, especially in order to assess the design characteristics of roads, engage in risk-based targeting of measures and monitoring and, in particular, take vulnerable road users into account. 
 

Impact assessment and measurement

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency aims to promote the achievement of the road safety target in its continuous work and through implementing the Road Infrastructure Safety Directive and the Road Safety Strategy in close cooperation with other actors. The impact of this will be of medium significance: while the impact of FTIA's measures over a ten-year period alone will be minor, the overall impact of high-quality infrastructure maintenance and measures taken in cooperation with other actors will be of major importance in upholding the current safety level, which will enhance the impact of FTIA's measures.

The goal is important, and opportunities have been identified in this work, especially as the work to update the strategy engaging a wide range of actors is beginning. As threats are seen the uncertain global situation and scarcity of funding. 
The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency will monitor progress towards the target based on road safety indicators:

• Annual numbers of deaths and serious injuries in road traffic
• Number of accidents resulting in personal injury
• Presence of traffic environment background risks in fatal accidents
• Risk of level crossing accidents.

As part of implementing the Road Safety Strategy and the Road Infrastructure Safety Directive, the progress of measures supporting target attainment will be monitored as follows:

• Road Safety Strategy: Completion of measures for which the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is responsible; FTIA's involvement in measures carried out together with different actors.
• Implementation of the Road Infrastructure Safety Directive: the procedures required under the amendment have been described and their implementation is underway.
   

Achievements in 2024

According to preliminary data from 2024, 132 people lost their lives and 1923 were injured in road accidents last year. The number of accidents resulting in personal injuries was 1,444. In the light of the accident figures, the years 2021–2023 were exceptionally good and in line with the targeted development. However, in 2024 the number of road deaths increased slightly, and there was minor deviation from the targeted development. The latest target period has begun quite recently. The challenge is how to maintain the good trend despite the deviation in 2024. However, in the big picture the direction is right.

The following are examples of measures included in the Road Safety Strategy within the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s remit that were launched or completed:

• Network-wide road safety assessment
• Guideline work and piloting of targeted road safety inspections
• Removal and improvement of level crossings
• Level crossing campaign 2024–2026
• Collection of information on railway problem areas where unauthorised crossings occur

In addition, other communication measures in line with the strategy related to, for example, trespassing on the railway were implemented. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency was also involved in promoting other measures in cooperation with different authorities and stakeholders.   

The following measures were taken to implement the Road Infrastructure Safety Directive in 2024:

• Network-wide evaluation completed
• Guideline work and piloting of targeted road safety inspections begun
• A report on the impacts of the Road Safety Directive on the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s technical and safety guidelines was prepared
• Guideline updates required under the directive were made 
   

Level crossing programme in 2024

 

There are 2,387 level crossings on the state-owned railway network, 1,660 of which are unguarded. Level crossings are currently the most obvious risk on railways. Statistically, an average of 20 level crossing accidents continue to occur in Finland every year, with an average of three fatalities (average for 2010–2024).

However, the numbers of level crossing accidents and fatalities have clearly decreased. In 2022 and 2023, only 13 accidents occurred each year, and in 2024 the number was down to 10. 2024 was the first year in statistical history when no one died in level crossing accidents.

The reasons for the improved traffic safety have included the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency's level crossing programme launched in 2018. In the course of this programme, 307 level crossings have been removed or improved on the state-owned railway network around Finland. Any sites where level crossings can be removed or improved in a smooth administrative process and at a low cost have already mainly been completed. In the future, the level crossing programme measures will target the most hazardous and, consequently, more expensive and complex level crossing sites. All in all, the measures of the programme will concern more than 500 level crossings.

Each year, approx. EUR 15 million is allocated to improving level crossing safety through the programme. In addition, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency implements other projects with separate funding to improve or remove level crossings.

 

Image: Level crossings removed + improved and level crossing accidents in 2018–2024

Building a radar beacon as part of the Kemi fairway project

In the Kemi fairway project, the draught of the fairway was deepened from 10 metres to 12 metres in 2021–2023. During the project, pilots highlighted how challenging the outer sections of the fairway are to navigate, as the fairway lacks fixed radar beacons. Especially under exceptional circumstances, fixed navigational aids are a necessity to ensure that routes can be navigated safely.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency investigated the possibilities of building a radar beacon and quickly found solutions that enabled the construction of a radar beacon.

The physical construction of a radar beacon began in summer of 2024 with the manufacture of its steel parts and the construction of an installation platform at sea. The dredged spoil was deposited in the dumping areas assigned for the deepening project. The monitoring of the environmental impacts and water quality of the dumping was agreed upon in cooperation with the permit authority. The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency monitors the impacts on the environment even in small dredging work it carries out and minimises any environmental damage caused by it.

The installation of the radar beacon progressed efficiently in autumn 2024, when the cofferdam-based foundation for the radar beacon was embedded in the target location. After the ice has broken in 2025, the upper part of the beacon will be welded into place. The Kemi radar beacon will also safeguard waterway traffic for years to come in exceptionally demanding conditions.

 

Occupational safety at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency

Occupational safety is a key part of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency’s social responsibility. The aim is to ensure a healthy and safe working environment at all workplaces and shared construction sites of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency. Occupational safety is ensured, taking into account both our own personnel and the personnel of our partners and service providers. The high level of occupational safety is the sum of many things. The factors promoting it include interest in improving the operations, good working methods and practices, active participation in occupational safety training, and good occupational health care and preventive action. Continuous development of safety and template documents for safety instructions is also an essential part of occupational safety. Good occupational safety increases job satisfaction both in offices and at shared construction sites. 

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency has created a comprehensive induction system for its own personnel, in which both workplace safety and occupational safety and health are involved. In addition, there is plenty of online training available for everyone. The procedures and requirements are the same and equally important for everyone, whether the employees belong to the FTIA’s own personnel or the contractors’ personnel.

Self-monitoring is one way to ensure that the FTIA and service providers comply with the requirements. The work is carried out in all sectors and at different stages of transport infrastructure management: planning, construction, maintenance and heavy maintenance. All self-monitoring results, decisions and corrective measures are documented. Safety inspections of working sites carried out with the service provider serve as a good example of self-monitoring. Self-monitoring measures are above all learning situations where it is possible to develop activities but also to see what has been done well. 

In 2024, occupational safety had two particular objectives: more observations and fewer accidents and incidents. Positive safety observations are particularly important as they have a positive impact on maintaining safety at a working site. As a responsible actor, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency wants to develop occupational safety further. For example, equality and non-discrimination as well as psychological safety are important new themes that we promote in the broad field of workplace safety. The development work does not concern construction sites only. The shared working environments of government agencies to be completed in the next few years will create more requirements for developing occupational safety together with other organisations.