Finnish Road Traffic Safety and environmental impacts

Transcription

1 Finnish Road Traffic Safety and environmental impacts 214

2 Contents Director General s review 3 Current state of road safety 3 Road safety is improved through co-operation 3 Main goals of the change 3 Realisation of the safety goals set for Finland 5 Goals 5 Actual values 5 Realisation of the environmental goals set for Finland 7 Greenhouse gas emissions from Finnish traffic 7 Energy consumption of domestic transport 7 Improving the energy-efficiency of professional transport 9 Alternative fuels in road transport cars 1 The state of road safety in Europe 12 European co-operation in accident statistics 14 State of Finland s road safety 15 Heavy transport 15 Car and van traffic 19 Motorcycle traffic 24 Moped traffic 26 Walking and cycling 29 Drivers fitness to drive 33 Accidents 34 Cross-sectoral challenges 35 The costs of road traffic accidents to society 36 Development targets for intelligent transport 38 Automated cars of the future 4 Levels of automation 4 Finns are interested in automated cars 41 CityMobil2 41 The dimension/mass reform of heavy vehicles 42 Background 42 Transport economy effects 43 Traffic safety effects 44 Environmental impact 44 HCT vehicle combination tests 45 Photo: Mika Huisman. Cover photo: Mika Huisman.

3 3 Director General s review CURRENT STATE OF ROAD SAFETY Finland is falling behind in safety comparisons of EU countries each year. We are now in a situation where we need to learn not only from the traditional leaders in road safety but also from countries that started off well behind us but have rapidly improved their position, such as France and Spain. France, for instance, has successfully automated driving speed enforcement from moving police vehicles. Road fatalities should be halved and injuries reduced by one quarter from to 22 in Finland, and in the EU as a whole. In order to achieve that goal, no more than 136 people should be killed and no more than 5,75 injured in Finnish road traffic in 22. was exceptionally safe, with 255 road users killed and 7,88 injured. The situation was almost the same in 213, with 258 killed and 6,681 injured. At the current pace, it appears that the 22 goal will be reached for injuries but not fatalities. For young drivers, the positive safety trend that started a couple of years ago continued in 213. The number of serious accidents in heavy transport decreased in 213 after three poorer years. ROAD SAFETY IS IMPROVED THROUGH CO-OPERATION Improving road safety and efficiently solving problems require actions from several different parties and administrative sectors. In recent years progress has been made on road safety, but too slowly with regard to the goals set. In accordance with the principles of the Government s performance guidance, the social impact of these actions results from the co-operation between different agents. The steering of the administrative sectors is based on the central government s jointly set guidelines, concentrating on the issues that are strategically most important and most in need of change. MAIN GOALS OF THE CHANGE In order to improve road traffic safety and reduce the adverse environmental impacts of traffic, the Finnish Transport Safety Agency wishes to emphasise the following three factors in particular: the modernisation of the vehicle stock, the lowering of the accident risk among young drivers and the utilisation of new technology. Update the vehicle fleet New cars pollute less and are safer than old cars. According to Trafi s statistics, the Finnish vehicle fleet is divided into two groups: new cars with a five-star safety rating are increasing in the traffic flow, but on average, vehicles are old. About a dozen traffic accidents leading to personal injury take place per one fatal accident; the share of older cars that are not as safe is overrepresented in the injury statistics. The objective is to keep the vehicles on Finnish roads in good condition with annual regular inspections. The Vehicle Inspection Act reform that came into force in July 214 aims towards vehicle inspection that is more affordable and easier for consumers. Moving the focus of vehicle taxation from purchase to use would be an effective means of directing traffic flows. Trafi is involved in an experiment to test a new kind of pricing for motoring and promoting the creation of new traffic services. Pricing can also encourage consumers to choose new, safe cars. Correspondingly, pricing can encourage the scrapping of the oldest vehicles on the roads. Public vehicle procurement can also favour responsible alternatives, for example by

4 4 including alternatives promoting safety and environmental friendliness in the procurement criteria. Lower the accident risk of novice and young drivers The accidents of novice drivers have decreased over the last years, but the risk of a serious traffic accident remains notably high particularly for young males who are just beginning to drive. Estimates have been made in Finland that it takes three to five years of driving for novice drivers to reach the average accident risk. In addition to a lack of driving experience, the high accident risk of young drivers is explained by attitude problems, the use of intoxicants, etc. Young drivers also drive cars that are older than average. Trafi was involved in the working group considering a reform of driver training. The working group found it problematic that the price of a Finnish driving licence is among the highest in Europe, if not the highest, but the traffic safety of novice drivers is far behind other EU countries. Furthermore, the highly detailed regulations of the current system do not enable the use of new innovations and alternative methods in driver training. For example, simulator practice and web-based learning could be utilised much more than is currently the case. The working group ended up recommending a reform of driver training, where the focus of the regulations would be moved from training to the driving test. Decreasing the regulation of the training process would increase the number of learning and practising alternatives. It is proposed that these changes are adopted during the coming Government term. Early intervention could prevent the reoccurrence of violations, including traffic violations. Early intervention models should be tested and adopted in Finland, too. The Netherlands, for instance, has had good experiences of the use of a cross-sectoral early intervention information system, where the police or education, social or traffic authorities can report their concerns regarding young people at risk of marginalisation. Utilise new technology New technology can be effectively utilised in traffic enforcement. The goal is to expand automatic speed and driving method enforcement so that it covers the highway network and the road and street sections with most traffic in population centres. This expansion requires a simpler processing of traffic violation sanctions. Web-based learning and simulators are developed into valid driver training alternatives for maintaining the driving skills of all drivers. Furthermore, the adoption of driving monitoring devices and independent evaluation of skills are encouraged. Driving monitoring devices could particularly be of use to young and elderly drivers, as well as drivers guilty of traffic violations. Driver support systems in vehicles are becoming more prevalent and automatic, and reduce the number of accidents caused by driver behaviour. Obstacles to automation becoming more prevalent are removed by influencing international and national regulations. Communications between vehicles and between vehicles and their surroundigs must support the increasingly automated technical systems in vehicles. In this area, compatibility of infrastructure must be ensured. The data repositories of the authorities are opened up and new safety-oriented services based on these data repositories are being developed. In the future, real-time traffic information is offered to everyone. Road traffic statistics are developed. Starting with the data for 214, serious injuries in road accidents must be reported to the EU. Trafi is one of the parties involved in this co-operation project. Sami Mynttinen Road Transport Director

5 5 Realisation of the safety goals set for Finland GOALS The safety vision for traffic envisages the prevention of deaths and serious injuries in traffic. This vision has been translated into the following road safety objective: to continuously improve traffic safety so that fatal road accidents are cut by half and injuries reduced by a quarter by 22 (from the baseline). According to the goal, no more than 136 people would be killed in road accidents and no more than 5,75 people injured in 22 in Finland. This goal is based on the common goal of the European Union. Furthermore, Finland has set an intermediary target for 214, involving the reduction of the number of road deaths to no more than 218. ACTUAL VALUES In 213, 258 people lost their life in our road traffic. This is slightly more than during the previous year. The number of road deaths varies somewhat year to year; however, the trend is downwards. At the turn of the millennium, the annual number of road deaths was around 4. In 213, around 3 people more lost their lives compared to the target level. (Figure 1.) FIGURE 1. The number of road deaths in compared to target level since Sources: No. of people killed: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland; Target level: MTC s programmes and strategies 1/. people killed target Photo: Trafi

6 6 According to a forecast by VTT, should the traffic safety work remain unchanged, the number of road deaths would not be sufficiently reduced with regard to the target (figure 2). Further measures are required to achieve the target. According to Statistics Finland, 6,681 people were injured in road traffic in 213. This is 13 per cent less than in. The number of injuries has decreased faster than the target level in and 213. (Figure 3.) The accident statistics of Statistics Finland cover about 3 per cent of the road traffic injuries. The largest gaps in the statistics involve injured cyclists, where around 24 per cent are included. The statistics have the best coverage in the injuries of car drivers, for whom the coverage is around 63 per cent. Minor injuries are more often missing from the statistics compared to serious injuries. The road traffic safety vision includes preventing serious injuries. There is not yet an official system for monitoring serious injuries in road traffic in Finland, but statistics based on hospital information are currently being developed. At the moment, the number of serious injuries can be monitored in the PRONTO database of the emergency services. According to the database, 919 people were seriously injured in road traffic in 213. FIGURE 2. The number of road deaths in , target since and the forecast development trend up to 22. Source: VTT FIGURE 3. The number of road injuries in compared to target level since. Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland; Target level: MTC s programmes and strategies 1/. deaths per year actual trend target set in 1, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 8, injured target 26 year 6,

7 7 Realisation of the environmental goals set for Finland GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM FINNISH TRAFFIC Traffic is a major producer of greenhouse gas emissions. The amount and change in emissions caused by traffic are monitored with the help of an indicator system (for example figure 4). The share of domestic transport of Finland s greenhouse gas emissions is about one fifth of our country s total greenhouse gas emissions, and around 4 per cent of the emissions of the Non-ETS sector 1. In, around 9 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions of domestic transport was generated by road traffic. The share of railway traffic is around one per cent, domestic aviation around two, and domestic maritime traffic around four per cent. The greenhouse gas emissions from transport have decreased in recent years. Should this trend continue, Finland will reach the objective set for its greenhouse gas emissions by the deadline of 22. According to the national energy and climate strategy, the green- house gas emissions of domestic transport must be reduced by 15 per cent by the year 22 (compared to the 25 baseline). In 22, the greenhouse gas emissions of domestic transport may thus be no more than around 11.2 million tonnes. 4 per cent of the 199 level has been proposed as the emissions reduction goal for the year 23. Negotiations are currently under way in the EU concerning, for example, the distribution of the burden between different sectors. FIGURE 4. Transport greenhouse emissions in 199 according to the LIPASTO calculation system. The transport emissions include international transport in Finland s economic area and the share of electric rail transport of the power plant emissions. Source: LIPASTO, VTT. transport CO 2 emissions 18,, 16,, 14,, 12,, 1,, 8,, 6,, 4,, 2,, 199 ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF DOMESTIC TRANSPORT Finland consumes a high amount of energy per capita. The energy consumption is affected by the cold climate and, with regard to transport, the long distances and the scattered community structure. The choice of mode of transportation also affects energy consumption. When reducing the amount of aviaton maritime railway road 1 The emissions trade sector includes major industrial facilities, centralised energy production, and aviation. The non-ets sector includes all other fields of industry, such as separate heating of buildings, agriculture, transport (excluding aviation), and waste management.

8 8 greenhouse gas emissions from transport, all possible means both technical and operational must be used to improve energy efficiency. Transport consumes around 2 per cent of the energy used in Finland. The proportion of energy consumption accounted for by transport has seen a slight increase over the last years. Transport s proportion of the consumption of energy produced from oil is around 4 per cent. Of all the modes of transport, road transport is the largest consumer of energy. In the transport sector, transport biofuels as well as electric transport are considered to have zero emissions. In other words, the emissions caused by their production are calculated as greenhouse gas emissions for the sectors producing them. For this reason, the energy consumption of transport will, in the future, become separated from the greenhouse gas emissions produced by transport to some degree. Energy consumption might increase as emissions from the transport sector decrease. New, more energy-efficient cars will reduce the end use of energy in transport, but, on the other hand, growth in traffic has steadily increased the amount of energy used by transport. From the perspective of sustainable development, the use of energy should be reduced. With regard to the energy consumption of transport, the goal is to halt the growth in the energy consumption and see it switch to a downward trend by 22. In 22, the energy consumption of domestic transport may not be more than 48 TWh 2, whereas today it is around 51 TWh. The EU s Energy Services Directive that was replaced by the new Energy Efficiency Directive in 213 sets Finland s energy efficiency goals. The Energy Efficiency Directive will be reviewed again in late 214, but it appears that no new energy efficiency goal will be set for the year 23 by the EU. The RES Directive on the use of renewable energy sources sets a common, binding target for all EU Member States, according to which the share of FIGURE 5. Energy consumption of domestic transport in 199. Source: LIPASTO, VTT. transport energy consumption renewable energy of entire energy consumption within the EU must be increased to 1 per cent by the year 22. In Finland, the renewable energy goal is 2 per cent in 22. The administrative sector of the Ministry of Transport and Communications has an ILPO programme 3 that has the goal of an energy saving of nine per cent in the operations of entrepreneurs who have signed up to the goods and public transport energy efficiency agreement, and the improvement of overall energy efficiency throughout the entire transport sector aviation maritime railway road 2 Terawatt hour. A watt hour (Wh) is a unit of energy, that corresponds to one watt of power for the duration of one hour. 3 The Climate Policy Programme.

9 9 IMPROVING THE ENERGY-EFFICIENCY OF PROFESSIONAL TRANSPORT Improving the energy efficiency of professional transport is important. Means of furthering this goal include legislation. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has been drafting legislation that will implement Directive /27/EU of the European Parliament and the Council, i.e. the Energy Efficiency Directive. Article 8 of the Energy Efficiency Directive stipulates that energy audits must be made mandatory to all large companies. According to the Directive, large companies are those that employ more than 25 employees or the annual turnover of which is at least EUR 5 million and/or whose annual balance sheet total is at least EUR 43 million. In Finland, there are around 3 such companies in the transport sector. These companies must perform the first mandatory energy audit on 5 December 215 at the latest, and thereafter at least every four years. The Energy Efficiency Directive will mainly be implemented by the Energy Efficiency Act. The Government is expected to submit its proposal on the implementation to Parliament during 214. Regulations on, for example, the minimum requirements for mandatory energy audits, and the monitoring to which they are subjected have been proposed for the Act. Trafi has participated in the national implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive through participation in a working subgroup discussing the mandatory energy efficiency reviews for the transport sector. Trafi has produced information for the working group on the transport operators to be covered by the mandatory reviews, their current measures aiming at energy efficiency, and has assessed the transport sector s current regulations in relation to the Energy Efficiency Directive. In the Bill concerning the Energy Efficiency Act, a role has been considered for Trafi, for example as the monitoring body for the mandatory energy audits of large companies. According to the Bill, the energy audits of large companies must always include one or more separate on-site audits. On-site audits should be performed on the various energy-using sites such as buildings and industrial facilities. The most relevant sites are selected for the energy audit. It is not likely that the mandatory energy audits of transport operators will include a requirement for mandatory site audits on vehicles, as they are already subject to various energy efficiency measures. These concern, for instance, economic driving methods and related training. Route choices and the choice and condition FIGURE 6. Shares of first-time registered cars utilising alternative fuels of all first-time registrations of cars in 213. petrol + diesel alternative fuels hybrids plug-in hybrids electric vehicles 1 2 % 97 Source: Trafi, Vehicular and Driver Data Register.

10 1 of the vehicle fleet can also affect energy efficiency. The mandatory audits of transport companies would thus include site audits of other energy usage sites of the companies in question. If large companies meet certain requirements stipulated in the Energy Efficiency Directive, they are exempted from the mandatory audits. ALTERNATIVE FUELS IN ROAD TRANSPORT CARS Road transport is a significant producer of greenhouse gases and fine particle emissions. In order to reduce emissions, the proportion of alternative fuels should be increased in comparison with fossil fuels. Preparations should also be made for potential changes in the price or availability of fossil fuels in the longer term. Alternative fuels refer to electricity, hydrogen, gas (LNG, CNG, LPG) and liquid biofuels. Cars using alternative fuels include what are known as flex fuel vehicles (high ethanol blend), hybrid cars and plug-in hybrid cars, electric cars and, for instance, cars running on only natural gas or cars running on both petrol and natural gas. A flex fuel vehicle has an internal combustion engine that can also use E85 ethanol fuel in addition to 95E petrol, or a blend of these. Hybrids refer to cars with two power sources. In addition to a petrol or diesel engine, they have one or more electric motors assisting the internal combustion engine. The electric motor gets its energy from a set of accumulators that enable driving short distances fully under electric power if the driver so wishes. The accumulators are charged during driving during engine braking and, additionally, by the combustion engine during light driving. Electric cars usually refer to batterypowered cars with fully electric motors. The batteries are charged at a charging station. Fuel cell cars are also often counted as electric cars; their motive power is generated from hydrogen gas by means of an electrochemical reaction. They use hydrogen as fuel. Although hydrogen can be produced from various different raw materials, it requires a lot of energy. Fuel cell cars are currently at the testing stage. In 213, the share of flex fuel cars, hybrids, plug-in hybrid cars and electric and gas cars (CNG) of all first-time registrations of cars in Finland was about three per cent, which is very low. In 213, a total of 657 flex fuel cars were first-time registered, making their share around 1.34 per cent of all first-time registrations. In the previous year, 1,46 of them were registered. In 213, the share of full hybrids was almost 2.2 per cent of all first-time regis- FIGURE 7. First-time registrations of cars utilising alternative fuels in ,4 2,2 2, 1,8 1,6 1,4 1,2 1, alternative fuels hybrids plug-in hybrids electric vehicles Source: Trafi, Vehicular and Driver Data Register.

11 11 tered cars. Their share of their first-time registrations grew by 65 per cent from. In, the number of first-time registered full hybrids was 1,493, while in 213, the total was 2,254. If the pace of first-time registration of hybrids continues unchanged over the coming years, it is possible that as many as 44 per cent of new cars will be hybrids in 22. According to a more moderate forecast, hybrids would have a 15 to 3 per cent market share in 22. In Finland, the first plug-in hybrids were registered in, when a total of 128 were registered. In 213, the number of first-time registrations was 168. The sales of plug-in hybrids are low in many other European countries as well. For instance,.1 per cent of cars sold in England in were plug-in hybrids. The same year in Finland, the share of plug-in hybrids was.11 per cent of all first-time registrations. The share of electric cars of the Finnish first-time registrations of cars is also very low. In, their share was.45 per cent, or 51 cars. In the following year the number of registrations fell to 5. In England, for instance, the share of electric cars of all first-time registrations was.6 per cent in. traffic at the end of last year. This is 43 per cent higher than the previous year. The number of petrol-ethanol powered cars (flex fuel) has increased by 18.5 per cent in one year. At the end of 213, there were 2,895 flex fuel cars in traffic. There were 169 electric cars in traffic, 172 natural gas powered, and 844 petrol-natural gas powered. In Finland, the renewable energy objective for transport has been implemented and doubled with the Biofuel Distribution Obligation Act. According to the Act, fuel distributors must deliver 6 per cent of biofuels to consumers in After that, the distribution obligation grows steadily, reaching 2 per cent in 22. The national Biofuel Distribution Obligation Act currently only applies to biofuels used in road transport. Currently, all transport fuels distributed in Finland contain biocomponents. An increase in the use of biofuels alone will get us very close to the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The share of cars using alternative fuels in traffic remains very low. At the end of 213, it was around.2 per cent. A total of 8,741 hybrid cars were in Photo: Rodeo

12 12 The state of road safety in Europe It is the goal of the European Union to reduce road deaths by 5 per cent by the year 22. The baseline used is the total of 31,6 deaths. Between and 22, the annual reduction must be at least 6.7 per cent in order to achieve the goal. Based on the statistics up to the end of 213, the annual progress in the reduction of deaths has been 6.2 per cent on average since. In 213, 51 people per one million inhabitants lost their lives in road traffic in the European Union. In, the corresponding figure was 63. Finland achieved a figure below the EU average in both 213 and. In 213, there were 48 road deaths and in, 51 road deaths per one million inhabitants. Sweden and the United Kingdom still retain the top spots as the safest road transport countries. In 213, there were 27 road deaths in Sweden and 28 in the United Kingdom per one million inhabitants. (Figure 8.) to 213. Slovakia, Spain, Greece and Portugal have achieved a reduction of over 3 per cent in road deaths. The bottom six are Luxembourg, Malta, Estonia, Serbia, Sweden and Finland with a result of under five per cent. (Figure 9.) Within the last three years, an average of 8.5 people have lost their lives per one billion vehicle kilometres in 21 European countries. Vehicle-kilometerage data is not available for all countries. The number of road deaths in Finland is clearly below the European average, around five per one billion vehicle kilometres. The leading countries in safety measured by the number of deaths relative to the vehicle-kilometerage are Sweden, Ireland, Great Britain and Norway with around four road deaths. The poorest performers were Poland and Croatia with around 2 deaths per one billion vehicle kilometres. In the 28 Member States of the European Union, road deaths have decreased by 18 per cent from Photo: Mika Huisman

13 13 Additional information is available from: European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) 214. Ranking EU Progress on Road Safety: etsc.eu/wp-content/uploads/etsc-8th-pin-report_final.pdf. FIGURE 8. Road deaths per one million inhabitants in and 213. * National provisional estimates used for 213, as the final figures for 213 are not yet available at the time of going to print. ** ETSC estimate based on the European Commission s CARE Quick indicator. Source: European Transport Safety Council ETSC. 213 EU EU EU28(): 63 EU28(213): 51 SE UK* CH NL IL DK* ES NO* SK IE* DE MT FI* FR* CY AT IT* HU SI EE CZ PT* BE* EL* BG** LU LT HT PL LV RS RO FIGURE 9. Reduction of road deaths in Europe between and 213 as a percentage. * National provisional estimates used for 213, as the final figures for 213 are not yet available at the time of going to print. ** ETSC estimate based on the European Commission s CARE Quick indicator. Numbers of deaths in Luxembourg and Malta are small and are therefore subject to substantial annual fluctuation. Source: European Transport Safety Council ETSC. 4% 35% 3% 25% 2% 15% 1% 5% % -5% -1% -15% -2% -25% -3% -35% -4% EU28 average: -18 % SK ES EL* PT* CY DK* BG** RO IL HU CZ FR* LV CH AT IT* BE* PL LT HR NL IE* NO* SI DE UK* FI* SE RS EE MT LU

14 14 European co-operation in accident statistics In 1993, the shared CARE database (Community Database on Accidents on the Roads in Europe) was established in the European Union for the administration of road transport accident data. The database contains the road accidents that led in a death or injury in the EU countries since The data is collected from national statistics. Statistics Finland delivers the Finnish data to the database. Trafi and the Finnish Transport Agency are members of the expert group of the database. The database helps identify safety problems in road transport, assess the effectiveness and suitability of transport safety measures, and promote the exchange of information. An extensive statistics report of the data is published annually, as are more concise reviews and map presentations on different topics. In January 213, the EU s High Level Group on Road Safety decided to promote the keeping of statistics on serious injuries by creating a uniform definition for a serious injury (injury score MAIS 4 3+). The goal is to have the CARE database contain information on serious injuries from 215 onwards. In Finland, statistics-keeping is planned jointly by several different parties. In 1988, the transport research programme of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) established the international IRTAD database (International Road Traffic and Accident Database). Today, the database contains road traffic accident data from 29 countries. The data includes the number of road deaths per road user and age category and road category. Statistics Finland delivers the Finnish data to the database. The database is developed by the IRTAD working group, and Trafi has been its Finnish representative since. Previously, the Finnish Transport Agency held the position. IRTAD prepares an annual report that, in addition to accident development, contains information on the number of accidents relative to population and vehicle-kilometerage, the use of safety equipment, and the national traffic safety strategies and objectives. The Nordic Road Association (NVF) is a Nordic road and transport sector co-operation network. NVF s transport safety division maintains Nordic comparison statistics on road deaths. The network includes both public administration and private organisations; its Finnish members include Trafi, the Finnish Transport Agency, Liikenneturva, ELY centres, the Finnish Motor Insurers Centre and Tampere University of Technology. More information: IRTAD: internationaltransportforum.org/irtadpublic NVF: nordiskt-trafiksakerhets-forum/ Nordic transport safety statistics: 4 The AIS (Abbreviated Injury Scale) is a six-level (1 to 6) classification system for an individual injury diagnosis. The MAIS (Maximum AIS) is the AIS score of the patient s most severe injury, thus describing the severity of the patient s injury.

15 15 FIGURE 1. Number of people killed in heavy transport accidents in State of Finland s road safety people killed HEAVY TRANSPORT The development of heavy transport vehicle-kilometerage and accidents In 213, lorries drove a total of 3.19 billion kilometres and transported 21 billion tonne- kilometres of freight in domestic traffic. The vehicle-kilometerage (kilometres driven) of lorries has increased by 4 per cent and the domestic transport volume (tonnekilometres) decreased by 3 per cent in ten years. Changes in industrial structure are one reason for the decrease in the transport volume. High-technology industry products weigh less than forest industry products. The vehicle-kilometerage of buses is estimated at 58 million kilometres in 213. This is practically the same as ten years previously. At the end of 213, around 96,7 lorries and around 12,2 buses were in transport use. The number of lorries in transport use has increased by 2.5 and the number of buses by 5 per cent from. In 213, lorry and bus accidents resulted in 77 deaths and 658 injuries. The number of deaths and injuries has decreased by one third over the last ten years (figures 1 and 11). The trend in the number of deaths follows the average trend for road fatalities, but the number of injuries has decreased slightly more than average. Over the last three years, heavy transport accidents resulted in 94 deaths and 722 injuries per year on average. This is roughly one third of all road deaths and 1 per cent of injuries. In 213, two people died and 18 were injured per one hundred million kilometres driven by lorries and buses. The death and injury risks have decreased by one third in ten years (figures 12 and 13). When examining the numbers of deaths and injuries relative to the transport volume (tonne-kilometres) of lorries, the death and injury risks have remained unchanged for the last ten years trend 25 Source: Statistics Finland FIGURE 11. Number of people injured in heavy transport accidents in people injured 1,2 1, trend 25 Source: Statistics Finland

16 16 FIGURE 12. Number of people killed in heavy transport accidents relative to the heavy transport vehicle-kilometerage in Source: Statistics Finland, Finnish Transport Agency. FIGURE 13. Number of people injured in heavy transport accidents relative to the heavy transport vehicle-kilometerage in people killed / 1 million vehicle kilometres people injured / 1 million vehicle kilometres trend FIGURE 14. Accident category distribution of heavy transport accidents in % 9 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 1 % % accidents leading to death other accident moped, bicycle or pedestrian accident turning, crossing, or rear-end accident overtaking accident head-on accident single-vehicle accident accidents leading to injury Source: Statistics Finland, Finnish Transport Agency trend Source: Finnish Transport Agency, accident register.

17 17 Characteristics of heavy transport accidents From 211 to 213, around one half of heavy transport accidents leading to a death were head-on collisions (figure 14). The second most common accident category was collisions with pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders, accounting for 2 per cent of the accidents. Of the accidents resulting in injury, 37 per cent were turning, crossing, or rear-end accidents. From 211 to 213, 67 per cent of heavy transport accidents resulting in a death occurred on highways (figure 15). Accidents resulting in an injury were more evenly divided between different traffic environments: 36 per cent of these accidents occurred on highways and 34 per cent on streets. Bus accidents occurred on streets more often than lorry accidents. 67 per cent of the people killed in an accident with a lorry were in cars, while 55 per cent of the injuries occurred in cars. In the case of bus accidents, 43 per cent of the victims killed were in cars, and in every third case, the victim was a pedestrian. One third of the injuries occurred on a bus and one third in a car. Heavy transport drivers involved in accidents were very rarely intoxicated. None of the heavy transport drivers involved in accidents resulting in a death were intoxicated. One per cent of the drivers involved in accidents resulting in an injury were intoxicated in According to the road accident investigation teams, the heavy transport party involved is rarely the main cause of the accident. In , a lorry or bus driver was the main cause of 22 per cent of the heavy transport accidents where someone in a motor vehicle was killed. Safety of heavy transport Although road safety in Finland has gradually improved, heavy transport accidents resulting in a death are decreasing too slowly relative to the goals set. Injuries appear to be decreasing in accordance with the goals. A majority of the heavy transport accidents resulting in personal injuries are head-on collisions and occur outside population centres, often on highways. Safety development in population centres has been more positive than outside them. Likely causes for this are the more rapid increase of vehicle-kilometerage on roads and the improved collision safety of modern cars at urban speeds even when the other party is a heavy vehicle. FIGURE 15. Road category distribution of heavy transport accidents in % 9 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 1 % % private roads streets other roads highways accidents leading to death accidents leading to injury Source: Finnish Transport Agency, accident register.

18 18 Speeding is the most common individual safety risk for heavy transport drivers. It both increases the likelihood of an accident and makes its consequences worse. The average speed of heavy transport on main roads is around 82 kilometres per hour. The average speed has remained unchanged in recent years. Challenges inherent to the transport chain and system such as schedules that are too tight cause traffic safety risks. However, the safety of the transport of dangerous goods and bus traffic, for example, are better than other heavy transport. Lessons could be learned from practice in these sectors, e.g. the utilisation of safety management systems and company-specific safety principles and practices. Challenges in utilising such practices could include prevalent attitudes in the transport sector, tight competition and the small company size particularly typical in Finland. These factors may lead to companies trying to obtain a competitive advantage at the cost of safety. Transport clients could profile themselves as promoters of traffic safety by requiring the carriers they use to operate responsibly. This may be impossible due to small companies in particular seeking to order carrier services solely based on the cheapest price. In addition to traffic safety, companies and other parties ordering transport services could also emphasise environmental, energy efficiency and occupational safety issues. Trafi is developing a responsibility model for road carrier companies that is easy to use and voluntary. The model will be a good tool for customers wanting to evaluate the responsibility of carriers. Each year, around 2 heavy vehicle combinations run off the road. In the case of a collision, the large mass of the heavy vehicle causes a significant risk to the other party. Some level of major accident is always possible, when a driver loses control of a heavy vehicle on a road with no structural traffic dividers for example, the Konginkangas accident in 24, where an out-of-control heavy vehicle combination and a bus collided. In addition to personal injuries, these kinds of accidents may lead to heavy damage to the vehicles, their loads, road structures and the environments (particularly in the case of the transport of dangerous goods). Conclusions on the traffic safety effects of the increase in the maximum allowed dimensions and mass of heavy vehicles that came into effect in October 213 cannot be drawn until a later date. The same applies to the safety impacts of vehicle combinations with special dimensions and mass operating under experimental special permits (so-called HCT combinations, High Capacity Transport). The first such special permit was granted in November 213. The increase in the dimensions and masses of heavy vehicles and the HCT experiments are based on improving transport economy while reducing the number of heavy vehicles, which is also assumed to improve traffic safety and decrease the environmental impact. The dimension/mass reform of heavy transport will be discussed in more detail at the end of this review. Photo: Trafi

19 19 FIGURE 16. Number of people killed in car and van accidents in CAR AND VAN TRAFFIC The developments in vehicle-kilometerage and accidents of cars and vans In 213, cars drove 46.5 billion and vans 3.9 billion kilometres in Finland. The vehicle kilometerage of cars and vans has increased by 7 per cent in ten years. In and 213, the vehicle kilometerage decreased slightly from the 211 level, probably as a result of the economic downturn. At the end of 213, there were 2,576, cars and 31, vans in traffic use in mainland Finland. The number of cars and vans on the road has increased by 4 per cent since. The average age of cars in traffic use was 11.2 years at the end of 213. The average age was.7 years higher than ten years previously. In 213, car and van accidents resulted in 28 deaths and 5,67 injuries. The number of deaths has decreased by 3 and the number of injuries by 27 per cent over the last ten years (figures 16 and 17). Over the last three years, car and van accidents resulted in 28 deaths and 6,7 injuries per year on average. This is 78 per cent of all road deaths and 84 per cent of injuries. In 213,.4 people died and 11 were injured per one hundred million kilometres driven by cars and vans. The risk of death has decreased by 34 and the risk of injury by 31 per cent in (figures 18 and 19). Characteristics of car and van accidents In , one third of accidents resulting in a death where a car or a van was involved were headon collisions (figure 2). The second largest category were single-vehicle accidents, which usually involve running off the road. Their share of accidents leading to a death was 27 per cent. Around one third of accidents leading to injury were collisions with a pedestrian, cyclist or moped rider, and 28 per cent were turning, crossing or rear-end accidents. A lorry or a bus was involved in one third of car and van accidents leading to a death and 7 per cent of accidents leading to injury. Of the car and van accidents leading to a death, 54 per cent occurred on highways, 3 per cent on other roads, and 12 per cent on streets (figure 21). Head-on collisions, in particular, were concentrated on highways. Of the accidents leading to injury, 43 per cent occurred on streets, 25 per cent on highways, and 28 per cent on other roads. 78 per cent of pedestrian, bicycle and moped accidents occurred on streets. fatalities trend 25 Source: Statistics Finland FIGURE 17. Number of people injured in car and van accidents in people injured 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 24 trend 25 Source: Statistics Finland

20 2 FIGURE 18. Number of people killed in car and van accidents relative to vehiclekilometerage in per cent of car or van drivers involved in accidents leading to a death were drink-driving in , while 6 per cent of drivers involved in accidents leading to injury were intoxicated. A majority of people killed in drink-driving accidents die in the car of the drunk driver. Accident risk of car drivers aged 18 2 In 213, nine car drivers aged 18 to 2 died in road traffic. Relative to the size of the age group, there were 4.5 deaths per one hundred thousand inhabitants. The number of deaths of young car drivers has decreased over the past few years. Until, most drivers were killed in this age group of youngest drivers relative to the size of the age group, but in and 213, there were slightly more car drivers killed in the age group 21 to 24. In 213, the numbers of people killed relative to the population of different age groups are closer to each other than in any previous ten-year period. (Figure 22.) Relative to valid driving licences, the number of killed car drivers aged 18 to 19 has clearly decreased from the dark years of and 211. In 213, the risk of death of drivers aged 18 to 19 was slightly over double and, for drivers aged 2 to 24, slightly less than double that of car drivers of all ages. Relative to the number of driving licences, fewer young drivers were killed in road traffic than drivers over 75 years of age in 213. (Figure 23.) Safety of car and van traffic The traffic accidents of cars and vans have clearly decreased from the early 2s, but the decrease in road deaths has slowed in recent years. More effective measures are needed to achieve the road death reduction goal. According to an estimate by the road accident investigation teams, over two thirds of accidents resulting in a death are affected by a risk factor related to the driver s status, such as alcohol, illness, tiredness or mental state. Reducing these risk factors requires cross-sectoral measures such as affecting the consumption of alcohol and the drinking culture, lifelong traffic education, campaigns and developing monitoring of fitness to drive. Of the car and van traffic on highways, over one half drive over the speed limit and 11 per cent drive more than 1 km per hour over the speed limit. In the view of the investigation teams, risk factors related to driving speed were involved in 44 per cent of the accidents resulting in a death in the years to. Fixed automatic speed enforcement covers around 3, kilometres of road, mainly on people killed / 1 million vehicle kilometres trend Source: Statistics Finland, Finnish Transport Agency FIGURE 19. Number of people injured in car and van accidents relative to vehiclekilometerage in people injured / 1 million vehicle kilometres trend Source: Statistics Finland, Finnish Transport Agency

21 21 the highways with most traffic. In early 214, the police concentrated the processing of violations detected by automatic enforcement in Helsinki, which has sped up the process. Based on the prevalence of speeding, speed enforcement needs to be made more effective. The use of seat belts would reduce the annual number of people killed in cars and vans by 22 based on estimates by the investigation teams. Based on monitoring by Liikenneturva, 95 per cent of people sitting in the front seat and 87 per cent of people sitting in rear seats wear seat belts. In serious traffic accidents, the use of seat belts is considerably rarer. In spring 214, a working group of the Ministry of Transport and Communications published a report proposing reforms to driver s education. With regard to cars, moped cars and two-wheel vehicles, the system would become test-focused. The minimum training requirements would be eliminated, meaning that the drivers could learn to drive in a manner that suited their personal needs. The goals of the proposal are an increased amount of practice, better readiness for independent driving and a more affordable driving licence. The proposal is based on the comparison of Finland s current training and testing system with the best traffic safety countries (Sweden, the Netherlands and Great Britain). If the vehicle-kilometerage begins to rise again, it will become more difficult to achieve the road safety goals. Up until now, the vehicle-kilometerage of cars has increased rapidly particularly during economic upswings. The scattered community structure of Finland s urban areas may increase the proportion of car traffic in the future. More information on young car drivers: Young people aged 18 2 as car drivers. Trafi publications 3/214 (in Finnish) FIGURE 2. Accident category distribution of car and van accidents in % 9 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 1 % % accidents leading to death accidents leading to injury other accident moped, bicycle or pedestrian accident turning, crossing, or rear-end accident overtaking accident head-on accident single-vehicle accident Source: Finnish Transport Agency, accident register.

22 22 FIGURE 21. Road category distribution of car and van accidents in FIGURE 22. The number of car drivers killed per 1, inhabitants in the age group in % % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % % 3 % 2 % % % private roads streets other roads highways accidents leading to death 25 accidents leading to injury Source: Statistics Finland, Statistics on road traffic accidents and population statistics/population structure Source: Finnish Transport Agency, accident register.

23 23 FIGURE 23. The number of car drivers killed per 1, driving licences in the age group in 213. All Source: Statistics Finland, Statistics on road traffic accidents; Trafi and Statistics Finland, valid driving licences 5. 5 Class B driving licences at a minimum. Photo: Rodeo, Mika Heittola

24 24 FIGURE 24. Number of people killed in motorcycle accidents in MOTORCYCLE TRAFFIC The development of motorcycle vehiclekilometerage and accidents The amount of motorcycling has grown rapidly in the 2s. At the end of 213, there were 25, motorcycles in the Vehicular and Driver Data Register, 235, of which were in traffic use. The number of registered motorcycles increased by 75 per cent in ten years. Motorcyclists have been estimated to have ridden a total of 1,2 million kilometres in. In 213, motorcycle accidents resulted in 25 deaths and 545 injuries. 24 of those killed and 54 of those injured were motorcyclists. Motorcycling injuries have decreased over the past few years. They are now at the same level as ten years ago. On average, the number of deaths has remained practically unchanged for the last ten years, but there are large differences between individual years. (Figures 24 and 25.) In 213, one person was killed and 22 injured in motorcycle accidents per ten thousand registered motorcycles. The trend in accidents involving motorcycles has been very positive in relation to the increase in the vehicle population. The number of deaths has decreased by 29 per cent and the number of injuries by 42 per cent in ten years, when the accidents are viewed in proportion to the number of registered vehicles. Characteristics of motorcycle accidents The majority of motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle accidents or accidents typical at junctions. In , single-vehicle accidents comprised 49 per cent of accidents leading to a death and 39 per cent of accidents leading to injury (figure 26). Turning, crossing and rear-end accidents correspondingly accounted for 32 and 36 per cent of accidents. According to road accident investigation teams, it is a common feature of crossing and turning accidents between motorcycles and cars that the driver of the car does not notice the motorcyclist in time. Compared to car accidents, motorcycle accidents leading to a death occur more rarely on highways and more often on other roads. In , the share of other roads in accidents leading to a death was 41 per cent, and 36 per cent in accidents leading to injury (figure 27). 38 per cent of accidents leading to injury occurred on streets. 13 per cent of motorcyclists involved in accidents leading to a death were drink-driving in , while the corresponding share of motorcyclists involved in accidents leading to injury was 8 per cent. people killed trend 25 Source: Statistics Finland FIGURE 25. Number of people injured in motorcycle accidents in people injured trend 25 Source: Statistics Finland

25 25 Motorcycle traffic safety Over the last years, the number of motorcycle accidents has decreased only a little. Assessing the causes of this development is made more difficult by the unavailability of reliable data on the volume of motorcycle traffic. Achieving the traffic safety goal also requires measures targeted at motorcycle accidents. In many motorcycle accidents, the motorcyclist s speed is too high considering the traffic situation or the rider s skills. According to road accident investigation teams, run-off-the-road accidents leading to a death often involved the motorcyclist taking a bend too fast, while in collision accidents, the motorcyclist s speed differed from the rest of the traffic in many cases. A majority of the motorcyclists dying in accidents wore a helmet. However, a helmet is not enough to save the life of motorcyclists receiving injuries in different areas of their bodies on crashing into another vehicle, tree, column, railing or a road bank at a high speed. FIGURE 26. Accident category distribution of motorcycle accidents in % 9 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 1 % % accidents leading to death accidents leading to injury other accident moped, bicycle or pedestrian accident turning, crossing, or rear-end accident overtaking accident head-on accident single-vehicle accident Source: Finnish Transport Agency, accident register. FIGURE 27. Road category distribution of motorcycle accidents in % 9 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 1 % % private roads streets other roads highways accidents leading to death Source: Finnish Transport Agency, accident register accidents leading to injury

26 26 MOPED TRAFFIC Moped licence The moped driving licence was introduced in 2. It could be attained by passing the theory test of the driving exam. Taking the theory test did not require completing driver training. However, riding a moped does not require a driving licence for persons who reached the age of 15 prior to the year 2. Since June 211, gaining a moped driving licence has also required participation in driver training. This involves a minimum of six hours of theory and three hours of riding instruction. After the training, a handling test must also be passed in addition to the theory test. The handling test includes slow riding, riding through gates, emergency braking, and walking the moped. The in-traffic driving test was included in the test requirements only for light quadricycles (so-called moped cars). The popularity of getting a moped licence decreased following the training and testing reform. The higher requirements increase the cost of gaining a moped licence. According to rough estimates, the price of a moped licence increased by as much as a factor of five compared to the period before June 211. The highest number of class M and MT 6 licences were issued in, around 4, in total. In 213 fewer than 24, licences were issued. The proportion of people passing a moped licence test who are female has increased from around 27 per cent in 24 to around 4 per cent in 213. (Figure 28.) Moped population The number of mopeds both in traffic use and first-time registered has clearly decreased over the last couple of years. The number of mopeds in traffic use exceeded 2, for the first time in. In 211, there were almost 223, mopeds in traffic use. In 213, the number of mopeds in traffic use had decreased to around 28,. In 27, a record 27,448 mopeds were first-time registered. Since then, the number of first-time registrations has fallen off sharply. In 213, only 8,427 mopeds were registered. (Figure 29.) Accidents In 213, moped accidents resulted in 5 deaths and 719 injuries. The number of road deaths of moped riders has decreased to one third over the last ten years. The number of injuries increased in and decreased clearly in 213. The number of injuries was at its highest in 211, around 1,1. FIGURE 28. The number of passed class M and MT theory tests in driving exams by driving licence applicant s sex in , 4, 35, 3, 25, 2, 15, 1, 5, 24 men women Since June 211, the moped driving exam has also included a handling test. However, a passed theory test is a requirement for taking in a handling test. Source: Trafi, driving test information system and driving test statistics. 6 M = moped licence, MT = combined moped and tractor licence.

27 27 FIGURE 29. The number of first-time registrations of mopeds in The goal of the moped licence reform implemented in June 211 was to improve the safety of moped riders and passengers. The reform appears to have had the desired effect, as the number of moped accidents fell sharply following the reform. The reduction in accidents is, however, partially explained by the decrease in moped riding. The numbers of moped accidents and personal injuries must be observed in the future over a time period of several years in order to reliably analyse the safety effects of the reform. In particular, deaths and injuries of moped riders aged have decreased after 211. Only two moped riders of this age died in 213, while there were eight deaths in. Injuries have decreased from around 9 to less than six hundred (figure 3). Proportional to the number of valid moped licences, the number of injuries for both men and women first clearly dropped from 211 to, but began to slightly increase after that. In 213, 8.4 male moped riders and 6.3 female moped riders were injured per one thousand valid licences. (Figure 31.) Prior to the moped licence reform, in , around 5 moped riders were injured annually in road traffic per 1, mopeds in traffic use. In and 213, there were around 34 injuries proportional to the moped population. 3, 25, 2, 15, 1, 5, Source: Vehicular and Driver Data Register, Trafi FIGURE 3. The number of moped riders injured in road accidents in The number of riders aged and riders of other age categories. 1, aged other age categories Photo: Mika Huisman Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland.

28 28 Moped cars and other class L vehicles The number of light quadricycles, or so-called moped cars, has increased rapidly over the last years. At the end of 213, there were around 1, light quadricycles most of which were moped cars. The number of moped cars has increased at a speed of one thousand per year. In the accident statistics of Statistics Finland, moped cars are not separated from other mopeds. In, insurance companies compensated a total of 735 moped car damages based on motor vehicle insurance coverage. In these accidents, two people were killed and 146 injured. In 43 of these accidents, the moped car s driver caused the accident, and in 35, the other party. The high accident risk of moped cars is evident in the high pricing of their insurance. A reform of the classification of light class L vehicles is currently under way in the EU. As a result, light vehicles of an entirely new type with different structural speeds may be introduced into traffic. The protection offered by these vehicles to the driver and the passengers in an accident will not match that of a modern car, for example. Such vehicles becoming more common due to reasons related to vehicle taxation or driving licence requirements, for instance, might decrease traffic safety. FIGURE 31. Number of moped riders injured in road accidents by sex per 1, valid moped driving licences in women men Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland and driving licence statistics, Trafi. 213

29 29 WALKING AND CYCLING Development of traffic volume In 211, the Ministry of Transport and Communications published a national walking and cycling strategy. Its policies run until 22. The strategy set a goal of increasing walking and cycling trips by at least 2 per cent compared to the 25 level. Achieving the goal would mean around 3 million new walking and cycling trips in 22. The total proportion of walking, cycling and public transport as travel methods would increase from 32 per cent to per cent. In , 34 per cent of all journeys were made by walking or cycling, while the corresponding proportion was only 3 per cent in 211. The number of walking journeys has remained roughly unchanged from 1,92 million annual journeys in to 1,97 million annual trips in 211. Over the same time period, the number of journeys by bike has decreased from 469 million to 429 million journeys. The annual walking kilometerage has decreased from 1,922 million kilometres to 1,777 million kilometres, and the annual cycling kilometerage has decreased from 1,411 million kilometres to 1,31 million kilometres. It does not look as though the goal of the strategy will be met. According to a passenger traffic survey 7 published in by the Finnish Transport Agency, walking and cycling kilometerages have decreased in all age groups. The walking and cycling of people who are at moped age and slightly younger have decreased the most. The walking and cycling of pensioners and people nearing retirement age have also decreased. 7 The passenger traffic survey is carried out every six years. Photo: Rodeo

30 3 FIGURE 32. Pedestrians killed in road accidents in Coverage of the accident statistics With regard to road deaths, the coverage of the accident statistics is one hundred per cent. With regard to injuries, the coverage is around 3 per cent. The coverage of cyclists injured in single-vehicle accidents is the poorest. An accident is not included in the road traffic accident statistics if it is not reported to the police. Most of the injuries missing from the statistics are minor injuries. Slips and falls by pedestrians are not included in the road traffic accident statistics. The only cases included in the accident statistics are those that occurred in an area intended for traffic or commonly used for traffic, and in which at least one moving vehicle was involved. Safety of pedestrians In 213, 34 pedestrians died in road traffic and 49 were injured. Over ten years, the safety of pedestrians has improved. Deaths have decreased by around 31 and injuries by around 24 per cent. (Figures 32 and 33.) Roughly one third of pedestrian deaths and almost half of injuries occur on a pedestrian crossing. The safety of crossings was at its poorest in 211, when 18 pedestrians were killed on crossings all killed pedestrians pedestrians killed on crossings Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland. 211 FIGURE 33. Pedestrians injured in road accidents in * * all injured pedestrians pedestrians injured on crossings Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland.

31 31 Safety of cyclists In 213, 2 cyclists were killed in road traffic. This is almost as many as during the two previous years. Deaths have decreased by around 4 per cent in ten years. In ten years, the number of injuries included in the statistics has decreased from around one thousand to around eight hundred annual injuries. (Figure 34.) On average, almost half of the cyclists killed in road traffic are aged 65 and older. Of the 2 cyclists killed in 213, eight were aged 65 and older. A majority of the deaths and injuries of cyclists occur in traffic situations involving intersecting driving directions, where the cyclist is riding straight ahead. In , roughly one third of the injuries and almost half of the deaths of cyclists occurred in traffic situations involving intersecting driving directions (figure 35). Situations involving intersecting driving directions are mostly collisions between a cyclist and a motor vehicle. The next most common accident types 8 in cyclist deaths are same driving directions, driving straight ahead and same driving directions, driving while turning. Injuries involving the same driving directions are the second most common accident type. FIGURE 34. Cyclists killed in road accidents in All age categories and riders aged 65 and over all age categories total riders aged 65 and over 29 Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland.) FIGURE 35. Cyclists injured in road accidents by accident type in ,2 1, accident types total same riding directions (riding while turning) crossing riding directions (riding straight ahead) All accident types total and same riding directions (riding while turning) and intersecting riding directions (riding straight) separately. Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland For descriptions of accident types, see for example the statistical yearbook on road traffic accidents,,

32 32 People killed in proportion to the size of the age group In proportion to the size of the age group, the number of elderly pedestrians, aged 65 or more, killed in road traffic is over double that of the entire population (figure 36). In 213, 1.9 pedestrians aged 65 or more were killed per one hundred thousand inhabitants, while the corresponding figure for the entire population was.6. In ten years, the number of elderly people killed in road traffic relative to the size of the age group has decreased by around 3 per cent. The risk of death for elderly cyclists is roughly double that of the risk of the entire population. In 213,.8 cyclists aged 65 or more were killed per 1, inhabitants, while the figure for the entire population is.4. The population in the elderly age groups continues to increase year after year. The number of elderly pedestrians and cyclists in road traffic is thus also increasing. A person s capacity to survive collisions and other accidents is reduced with age FIGURE 36. Number of pedestrians and cyclists killed in road accidents relative to 1, inhabitants in Entire population and inhabitants aged 65 and over Sources: Statistics on road traffic accidents and Population structure statistics, Statistics Finland. pedestrians, aged 65 and over pedestrians, entire population cyclists, aged 65 and over cyclists, entire population Photo: Vastavalo, Riitta Weijola

33 33 Drivers fitness to drive In almost all road traffic accidents, the driver s human actions are one key factor causing the accident. In motor vehicle accidents leading to a death that occurred in and were investigated by a traffic accident investigation board, the human risk factor was involved in 99 per cent of the accidents (figure 37). The driver s human actions such as observations, assessments and solutions always include some errors. The driver s fitness to drive affects the number and severity of those errors. The better the physical and mental condition of the driver, the better the driver s anticipation, accuracy, observation and safety in driving a vehicle in interaction with other road users and the traffic environment. Key risk factors related to fitness to drive are alcohol and other intoxicants, low alertness and tiredness, and certain physical and mental illnesses. From the perspective of road transport legislation, an illness, handicap, injury or tiredness can prevent the driving of a vehicle. The Driving Licence Act stipulates the minimum requirements for the physical and mental health of the licence holder. The police monitor drivers fitness to drive during normal traffic enforcement. Furthermore, since 24, doctors have been obligated to notify the police of the other than temporary decrease in the health of a driving licence applicant or a licence holder. According to international studies, mental disorders increase the driver s risk of accident the most of all the factors related to fitness to drive. The risk of drivers with mental health issues is 2.1 times that of a healthy driver. A high accident risk has also been identified in drivers suffering from alcoholism (2.), drivers using psychoactive substances (incl. alcohol) (1.96), abusers of medicines and drugs (1.96), and drivers with epilepsy or having other similar fits (1.84). The accident risk of healthy drivers corresponds with value 1.. FIGURE 37. Fatal motor vehicle accidents in. Distribution of direct and background risks related to human factors, vehicles and the traffic environment. human + vehicle (18 %) only human (18 %) human + traffic environment + vehicle (47 %) traffic environment + vehicle ( %) Source: The Finnish Motor Insurers Centre/VALT 213. human + traffic environment (16 %)

34 34 ACCIDENTS In Finland, accurate data on drink-driving accidents in road traffic is available, as the police perform a breathalyser test on all drivers involved in an accident. The blood alcohol content of people killed in accidents is determined during an autopsy. Data on accidents caused by a sudden illness, falling asleep, reduced alertness and intent (self-destructiveness) is available only for accidents leading to a death. The data is based on death certificates and the data of the road accident investigation teams 9. Deaths caused by a sudden illness are removed from the official road traffic accident statistics based on a comparison of the cause of death. Accidents caused by self-destructiveness, however, are included in the accident statistics. Annually, 4 7 road users are killed and around 7 injured in drink-driving accidents 1. Over the last ten years, the proportion of people killed in drink-driving accidents of people killed in all road traffic accidents has varied between 16 and 25 per cent (figure 38). Annually, around 15 per cent of the motor vehicle accidents leading to death investigated by road accident investigation teams are caused by a sudden illness of the driver. The driver falling asleep or a reduction in the driver s alertness is an immediate risk factor 11 in around five per cent of all motor vehicle accidents leading to a death. (Figure 39.) As late as in 25, the proportion of accidents involving the driver falling asleep was 11 per cent, but over the last few years, this figure has decreased, while the proportion of accidents caused by a sudden illness has increased. However, identifying the driver falling asleep or a decrease in alertness as a risk factor affecting the occurrence of the accident is challenging. Some accidents involving the driver falling asleep may remain unidentified by the road accident investigation teams or entered under an incorrect immediate risk factor. According to the causes of death statistics of Statistics Finland, an average of 17 persons per year have committed suicide by collision with a motor vehicle in road traffic between 1998 and. Over the last ten years, the annual average number of suicides has been 2. In, there were an exceptionally high number of intentional accidents, 35. Data is not yet available for 213. FIGURE 38. Percentage of people killed in drink-driving accidents of all road accident fatalities in Proportion of people killed in drink-driving accidents Source: Statistics on road traffic accidents, Statistics Finland. According to causes of death statistics, the proportion of suicides committed by collision with a motor vehicle of all suicides has been slightly increasing in 1998 with the exception of three years deviating from the trend (26, 29 and ). In, the proportion of all suicides committed with a motor vehicle was four per cent, when in 1998 this figure was less than one per cent In Finland, all road and off-road traffic accidents leading to a death are investigated. 1 Drink-driving incident: An accident, where the driver of a motor vehicle has been verified (blood test or breathalyser test result at least.5 per mille) or is with good grounds suspected to have been under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. 11 The investigation teams define one immediate risk factor for each person involved in the accident. An immediate risk factor has an active effect on the occurrence of the accident. Examples of immediate risk factors related to a road user: falling asleep, braking error, incorrect driving line, error in judgement; Examples related to the vehicle: steering failure, tyre puncture; Examples related to the traffic environment: collapse of road edge, exceptional and sudden slipperiness.

35 35 According to the information of road accident investigation teams, around five more motor vehicle suicides take place in road traffic than according to the causes of death statistics of Statistics Finland. The difference is likely caused by the investigation teams receiving often very precise information on the accidents and the background factors affecting their occurrence, for example through interviews with the family and friends of the deceased driver. CROSS-SECTORAL CHALLENGES Factors related to the fitness to drive of drivers in the traffic flow are cross-sectoral to a large degree. They cannot be affected solely through transport policy measures. A majority of the factors are crystallised into the wellbeing of citizens in the society. Undesirable factors such as unemployment, marginalisation, alcohol addiction, overuse and misuse of alcohol, drugs and medicine, and mental and physical illnesses increase the likelihood of being involved in a road traffic accident. These factors are more common in young males compared to the entire population. As the number of elderly licence holders increases, the pressure on the healthcare sector in particular will increase. Both the overall number of elderly people and the proportion of elderly people in the population are increasing. Car ownership is becoming more commonplace, and the health of the elderly is improving. The elderly are used to a lifestyle that involves driving. It is likely that an increasing number of 7-year-old drivers will apply for an extension to their driving licence. The time at which people give up their driving licence is also estimated to become increasingly later in all age groups of the elderly. The number of people with a driving licence who are aged 7 or more has increased from around 2, in 24 to almost 33, in 213. The number of people with a driving licence who are aged 7 or more is estimated to nearly triple from to 24. The number of elderly people with a driving licence can be estimated to continue growing from 24 onwards, as according to a population projection by Statistics Finland, the number of people aged 7 or more will increase by around 126, from 24 to 26. The mobility of the elderly is a question of both wellbeing and safety. When an elderly person gives up driving, his or her accident risk may increase through increased walking and bicycling. FIGURE 39. The percentage (%) of accidents of all material (fatal motor vehicle accidents), where the risk in question was an immediate risk factor falling asleep, decrease in alertness fit of illness deliberately driving into the situation The figures from 213 will be available in late Source: The Finnish Motor Insurers Centre/The Traffic Safety Committee of Insurance Companies VALT, annual reports 23. Additional information is available from: Thematic analysis: The fitness to drive of motor vehicle drivers as a road traffic safety factor. Trafi publications 6/ (in Finnish)

36 36 The costs of road traffic accidents to society Average costs have been determined for deaths and injuries in road traffic. They are used in calculations concerning road traffic benefits and costs. The latest costs updated in are EUR 1.92 million for a death and EUR.24 million for an injury. A fender bender costs EUR 3, on average. The costs include emergency rescue services, healthcare, damage to the vehicle, loss of working ability and loss of human well-being. In -, accidents reported to the police resulted in average annual costs of EUR 2.4 billion (figure 4). Around 75 per cent of the costs were from injuries and 22 per cent from traffic deaths. The proportion of fender benders was only around 3 per cent of the costs, although they accounted for 78 per cent of accidents reported to the police. Around 3 per cent of the costs of road traffic deaths and injuries in - resulted from accidents involving a pedestrian, cyclist or moped riders. The share of run-off-the-road accidents of the costs was 26 per cent, intersection accidents 17 per cent, and head-on collisions 11 per cent. (Figure 41.) The injuries to cyclists are missing from the traffic accident data of the police more often than other injuries. If statistics were kept of the injuries of all different road user groups with the same coverage, the total share of pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders of the accident costs would be around 45 per cent. Annually, road traffic deaths and injuries incur a cost of around EUR 4 for every person living in Finland. Broken down by age group, the cost of death and injury is the highest for people aged 15 17, around EUR 1,7 per person. This is particularly caused by injuries from moped accidents. The accident costs of people aged are also clearly above average, around EUR 9 per person. The accident costs are lowest for children aged 14, around EUR 2 per person (figure 42). FIGURE 4. The annual number and calculated cost of road accident fatalities, injuries and property damage reported to the police, average for years. 1 % 9 % 8 % 7 % 6 % 5 % 4 % 3 % 2 % 1 % % fender-benders injured fatalities 35, pcs/yr 27,432 7, number per year Source: Finnish Transport Agency. EUR 2.4 billion 81 1, EUR million per year

37 37 If the severity of the injuries were known, it is likely that the injuries of the oldest age groups would be more severe than those of the younger age groups. Consequently, it is likely that the accident costs of the elderly would be higher than presented here, and the costs of the youngest age groups lower. It is probable that data on costs and the severity of injuries will become more accurate in the near future, as the healthcare data on the severity of the injuries will begin to be linked to the accident statistics. The average unit prices presented above have only been defined for accidents reported to the police. Around 3 per cent of road injuries are reported to the police; the percentage is probably even lower in the case of property damage accidents. Accidents reported to the police are, on average, more serious than the accidents reported only to the insurance company. In, traffic insurance compensated 16,456 instances of traffic accident, which means that the number of accidents is significantly higher than the around 35, accidents reported to the police. Of these, 18,479 were personal injuries. A total of EUR 516,, is estimated to be paid as compensation for accidents occurred in, or an average of EUR 4,5 per accident. FIGURE 41 The cost of road fatalities and 39 injuries reported to 132 the police by accident type, average for years. 65 driving off the road head-on collisions intersection accidents 77 rear-end collisions M pedestrians, cyclists, 268 mopeds collisions with animals other Source: Finnish Transport Agency. FIGURE 42. The cost of road fatalities and injuries reported to the police by person of the age group, average for years. EUR per person, year 1,8 1,6 1,4 1,2 1, age in years Source: Finnish Transport Agency and Statistics Finland Average

38 38 Development targets for intelligent transport There is an increasing drive to improve the safety, flow and environmental friendliness of transport by means of intelligent transport. Related to this topic, extensive research programmes are underway in Finland, such as VTT s TransSmart, a development platform for a smooth, cost-effective and environmentally friendly transport system, the INKA Innovative Cities programme by Tekes, and Liikennelabra, a pilot project launched by the Ministry of Transport and Communications that has the goal of promoting the creation of a service market for intelligent transport. Trafi is promoting the impact of intelligent transport through national and international co-operation and its own R&D activities. In , the main subjects of intelligent transport research at Trafi have been the development of a driver feedback service and reindeer warning system, and investigation supporting the implementation of an automatic emergency call service. The traffic readiness of novice drivers improves rapidly, and they become more confident drivers during their first years on the road. However, their accident risk is at its highest immediately after being granted a driving licence. In order to improve the safety of such drivers who have just been granted a driving licence, a follow-up and feedback system has been developed for novice drivers and their parents to guide them towards safe and economic driving. In practice, the device monitors sudden braking, cornering speeds and fuel consumption. The service reports unusual driving events in a map application, helping the driver self-assess his or her driving in that situation. The feedback service demonstrates that the driver is responsible for his or her driving behaviour without alerting for every minor speeding event. One meaningful feature of the service is that the novice driver gets feedback on his or her driving in comparison to other drivers, also allowing competition on whose driving habits are the safest and most economical. In long-term field tests, the service has Photo: Thinksctock/iStock

39 39 been found to increase the motivation of the drivers to observe speed limits and drive safely. There are 4,5 reindeer-related accidents in Finland every year. In recent years, the number has been growing, despite active testing of various methods of preventing reindeer-related accidents since the 199s. The latest method for reducing reindeer accidents is a smartphone application under development. The project focuses on the testing of warnings based on the accident history data from a few previous weeks and real-time warnings based on observations and notifications of reindeer movement on the road. Real-time warnings are tested in a reindeer rearing area on two road sections. Results on the test s impact on driver behaviour can be expected in 215. ecall is a safety system that can be installed on cars. It automatically makes a 112 emergency call and relays the precise location information of the car to the emergency response centre, if it detects that the car has been in an accident. This allows quick response even if the driver and the passengers have lost consciousness. The driver can also activate the system when in need of help. When help can be obtained in the right place without delay, lives are saved and the recovery prognosis of those injured is better. It has been estimated in Finland that 4 to 8 per cent of people killed in car accidents could have been saved if all cars had been installed with the ecall system. ecall is a public service that is free of charge to its users. The required equipment does not increase the price of the car significantly for the consumer. The first new cars and vans utilising the public ecall service will enter the Finnish market in late 217. The device can also be retrofitted into an older car when the system has been launched. ecall does not constantly monitor the car s location; it will activate only in accident situations or when the driver so wishes. In Finland, the deployment of ecall has been prepared jointly by the authorities and VTT. Once the system has been taken into use, Trafi will be responsible for the type approval of the vehicles and the emergency response centres will receive the emergency calls made by the system as part of their normal operations. Photo: Cartina, Seppo Hyvönen

40 4 Automated cars of the future The development of automation has enormous potential in road traffic. Measured in deaths, injuries, environmental emissions, money, time saved, or increase in well-being, the development of automation can achieve more than any other individual factor. Indeed, the question is how, when and where this potential will be realised. Most car manufacturers have their own programmes, aiming at a breakthrough of automated cars as soon as possible. Because the potential benefits for the society are large, the states also have a positive attitude towards the development of automation. Car manufacturers are motivated by the enormous publicity value connected to automation. In the United States, Google has received global attention for its GoogleCar project. The same applies to Volvo s recently announced project in Gothenburg, Sweden, and Nissan s project in Asia. Competition in the industry is fierce everybody wants to be the first to complete its own automated car and introduce it into traffic. The development projects can be categorised by whether the driver is in the vehicle or not. Furthermore, categorisation can be based on how much input from the driver driving requires. A fully autonomic and driverless vehicle is not approved for use in public traffic in any country. There are, instead, several test projects where the vehicle moves without a driver along a predetermined route and in a predetermined way. In most automated car projects, a driver with a valid driving licence is required to be in the car. The driver will then be responsible for the vehicle, its operation and movement. LEVELS OF AUTOMATION A US safety authority, NHTSA, classifies the levels of automation into five categories that describe the development of automation from non-existent to full control over the vehicle.. No automation The driver has complete control of the vehicle. The vehicle has no automatic subsystems or functions. 1. Function-specific automation One or more individual functions are automated, and if there are more than one, they operate independently. However, the driver has overall control of the vehicle and responsibility for the driving. Examples of functionspecific automation include cruise control and lane keeping systems. 2. Combined function automation Two or more primary functions observe the environment together or control the driving. However, the driver has primary responsibility for driving and must be able to assume complete control of and responsibility for driving if necessary. An example of this is a parking assistant. 3. Limited self-driving automation The vehicle controls all critical safety functions under certain conditions. The driver does not need to constantly monitor traffic. If the system cannot support the automation in a certain traffic situation, it will cede control to the driver. An example of this is an advanced parking assistant that finds a parking facility, locates a

41 41 free parking space, parks the vehicle and later returns to the driver. This technology will become available in the near future. 4. Full self-driving automation The vehicle is capable of performing all safety-critical driving functions and monitoring the environment throughout the entire trip. The driver may provide navigation input but is not expected to control the steering, accelerator or the brakes at all. The vehicle is capable of performing even demanding functions without assistance from the driver. FINNS ARE INTERESTED IN AUTOMATED CARS Finnish road transport legislation is based on the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, Article 8 of which stipulates that every moving vehicle or vehicle combination shall have a driver. The convention also stipulates that the driver shall at all times be able to control his vehicle. at all times. As a rule, the driver is responsible for the vehicle, its movement and actions in traffic. Vehicles have an increasing amount of driver assistance systems and technology. Their use is not separately regulated in the legislation. This means that there is no obstacle to the use of technical systems assisting the driver, if the vehicle with its accessories and components has been properly approved for traffic, and its condition and other features comply with the regulations. No limit has been set for how much or how pervasive technology can be installed on a vehicle. In accordance with the basic principles of road traffic, the driver retains responsibility for the vehicle s operation, use and control, including technical systems assisting the driver, and the driver must be able to control his or her vehicle in traffic at all times. When considering more extensive automation, the several different user groups in public traffic, the communication between them, and the liability issues come up as the primary challenges. CITYMOBIL2 Projects partially funded by the European Union are currently underway, including the CityMobil2 project, where 12 European cities are examining the possibility of using automated cars as part of their public transport services. In public transport, automated cars enable achieving a better service level at a lower cost, particularly considering sparsely populated areas and quiet hours. Automated cars could be involved in the creation of flexible public transport, where the supply is adapted to meet the current demand. As part of the CityMobil2 project, traffic tests and demonstrations of automated vehicles are also arranged. The interpretation of these requirements has thus far remained unchanged despite pressure for change. These requirements were also in the background when the Road Traffic Act and the Vehicle Act and the related regulations were prepared. The road traffic legislation assumes that a vehicle has a driver Photo: 2GetThere/CityMobil2

42 42 The dimension/mass reform of heavy vehicles BACKGROUND The majority of commercial transport of goods in Finland takes place on roads. In Finland, transport costs form a clearly larger share of the value of the transported goods than in the EU countries on average. This affects the prices of the end products and the competitiveness of the companies. Because in a sparsely populated country like Finland, it is not possible to significantly improve the efficiency of transport of goods by, for example, increasing the share of rail transport, increasing the transport efficiency of road transport is the most viable method of reducing transport costs while also reducing the environmental impact of transport. EU legislation on the dimensions and mass of vehicles allows national regulations to approve vehicles for national transport with dimensions exceeding the main dimensions allowed for vehicles used in international transport in the EU. Finland increased the maximum allowed dimensions and mass of heavy goods transport vehicles and vehicle combinations from October 213 onwards. The maximum allowed mass of vehicle combinations increased from 6 tonnes to 76 tonnes with the exception of combinations used in the transport of dangerous goods, the maximum allowed mass of which increased to 68 tonnes. The maximum allowed height of the vehicles increased from 4.2 metres to 4.4 metres. With the changes, heavy goods transport vehicles can now transport loads that are larger than before. This is estimated to improve the logistic competitiveness of our country. The need for fewer vehicles due to larger loads is also estimated to reduce heavy transport s carbon dioxide emissions and improve traffic safety. With the mass increase, new requirements were set on the vehicles, for example, concerning the number of axles, engine power and, in the heaviest combinations, the number of powered axles. Taking advantage of the new mass limits also requires that Photo: Mika Huisman

43 43 the vehicles have been technically approved for these masses. As a result of the changes, the new maximum masses of vehicle combinations are: 8-axle 64 tonnes 8-axle with a twin-wheeled trailer 68 tonnes 9-axle 69 tonnes 9-axle with a twin-wheeled trailer 76 tonnes. Previously, the maximum mass of these vehicle combinations was 6 tonnes. Correspondingly, the new maximum masses of lorries are: 4-axle 35 tonnes 5-axle 42 tonnes. With the transition period included in the amendment of the decree, 2- and 3-axle lorries taken into use prior to the beginning of November 213 are allowed a 2-ton increase in their maximum mass, if the technical maximum mass specified by the manufacturer allows this. Correspondingly, 7-axle full trailer combinations are allowed a 4-ton increase in their maximum mass, if the technical maximum mass specified by the manufactured allows this. The transition period remains in effect until 3 April 218. TRANSPORT ECONOMY EFFECTS The increase of the maximum mass and transport volume allowed for vehicles and vehicle combinations reduces transport costs and emissions produced by transport, if the increased transport capacity can be utilised. The implemented changes will reduce transport costs by a total of around EUR 3,2 million in 2 years, i.e., around EUR 16 million per year on average. The estimates of the Finnish Transport Agency are based on calculations made by transport type, also attempting to predict the effects the regulatory changes will have on the transport vehicles that will be purchased. The estimates are based on the volume of transported goods remaining unchanged. They do not take into consideration cascade effects caused by the improved competitiveness resulting from lower transport costs. In order not to increase the load on roads and the resulting costs as the mass of the vehicle combinations increase, the dimension/mass reform increased the number of axles on the vehicle combinations. The axle and bogie-specific masses have a significant effect on the damage to road structures. By adding more axles in proportion to the increase in mass, and also requiring more twin-wheel axles on the heaviest combinations, the load on roads can even be reduced from before. The axle and bogie-specific mass also has a significant impact on the load on bridges. Bridge structures are also affected by the mass of the entire vehicle and vehicle combination, and the distance between the furthest axles. For this reason, the reform will affect bridge maintenance and the weight limits set for bridges. At the time the dimension/ mass reform came into effect, there were 144 bridges with weight limits in the road network and 2 in the street network. According to an estimate by the Finnish Transport Agency, the increase in vehicle mass will increase the number of bridges with weight limits by 25 to 3 in the road network and by around one hundred in the street network. Removing the weight limits will require repairs made over a long period of time. According to an estimate by the Finnish Transport Agency, a total investment of around EUR 214 million will be required over 2 years for removing the weight limits of the bridges. The Finnish Transport Agency estimates that in the long term, the changes will reduce the stress on roads compared to not implementing the changes. The increases in vehicle masses with the requirement of increasing the number of axles and equipping the heaviest vehicles with twin wheels is

44 44 estimated to reduce the maintenance costs of roads by a total of around EUR 6 million over 2 years. The transition period included in the changes enabling the use of the current vehicle fleet for a period of five years with larger masses is estimated to increase the maintenance costs of roads and bridges by a total of around EUR 426 million. The effect of the single wheels that have lately become common on heavy vehicles on road maintenance costs was estimated to have totalled around EUR 64 million over 2 years, if no changes had been implemented. The efficient utilisation of the increase in the maximum allowed vehicle height requires raising the underpasses on routes important to transport. According to an estimate by the Finnish Transport Agency, this will cause a total cost of EUR 212 million over 2 years. The Finnish Transport Agency estimates that the total additional costs resulting from the changes will be around EUR 846 million over 2 years. Around 77 per cent of the costs apply to the state s road network. The rest applies to the street network of the municipalities and private roads. The Government s framework decision has earmarked a total of EUR 55 million to be used in repairing the load-bearing capacity of bridges and roads and raising bridge underpasses for TRAFFIC SAFETY EFFECTS The effect of the dimension/mass reform on traffic safety cannot yet be assessed based on accident statistics. According to data from the Finnish Motor Insurers Centre, an average of around 5 people are killed each year in traffic accidents involving a heavy goods transport vehicle equipped with a full trailer. According to an estimate by VTT, the total effect of the changes will be slightly positive, a reduction of around.5 road deaths per year. The estimate identifies a factor reducing traffic safety in head-on collisions, the change in the speed of a car colliding with the front of a lorry or a heavy vehicle combination would be greater due to the larger mass of the heavy vehicle, increasing the severity of the injuries caused by the accident. In turn, traffic safety will be improved by the lower number of vehicles and vehicle combinations required to transport the same volume of goods, which reduces the number of accidents. The increase in the maximum allowed vehicle height could also have the effect of increasing the number of accidents involving the vehicles and their loads hitting overhead obstacles. These could result in the load falling on the road or the overhead obstacle being damaged. Hitting an overhead obstacle such as a lightweight railway bridge or a walkway could also cause a risk to their users. For this reason, the regulation on the maximum allowed vehicle height includes a requirement for the carrier and the driver to ensure that transporting a high load via the planned route is possible without a risk of hitting structures above the road. With the changes, the Finnish Transport Agency has started planning the raising of underpasses that are dangerous and important to transport routes, and updated the height limit signs. The larger maximum allowed vehicle height will, however, improve transport efficiency, and the resulting lower number of vehicles will reduce the likelihood of accidents. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Around 9 per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions of domestic transport is generated by road traffic. In turn, around 4 per cent of road traffic emissions are produced by other than car traffic. According to a rough estimate by VTT, the changes implemented to the dimensions and mass of heavy vehicles will reduce the annual carbon dioxide emissions of road transport by around 25, tonnes. This is around two per cent of the total carbon dioxide emissions of transport. The estimate was made using initial data that does not include the requirement of equipping

45 45 the heaviest vehicle combination trailers with twin wheels. The Finnish Transport Agency has estimated that based on the transport cost benefits from the changes including the requirement for twin wheels, the annual reduction of carbon dioxide emissions will be around 217, tonnes. the special permit is also that the exception does not endanger traffic safety or distort competition. The first special permit for this kind of testing was granted in November 213. HCT VEHICLE COMBINATION TESTS With the changes to the regulations related to the dimensions and mass of heavy vehicles, Trafi may grant special permits to combinations with a mass exceeding 76 tonnes, length exceeding metres, and including several trailers. The purpose of testing these HCT (High Capacity Transport) vehicle combinations is to enable the development of vehicle combinations that are longer and heavier than the current ones from the perspective of logistics, environmental friendliness and traffic safety. Trafi and other relevant authorities will define the conditions applying to these tests. The conditions may be related to the technical requirements and structures of the vehicles, and also to transport routes and times, and the duration of the tests, for example. Furthermore, testing-related research could be required, the results of which should be delivered to the authorities for their use. Another condition for Photo: Otto Lahti, Trafi