There was not a single fatal traffic accident in Helsinki last year, according to Finnish police data, quoted by the German public media ARD. According to the city government, the increased road safety is mainly due to speed limits and better conditions for pedestrians.
Significant decrease in accidents
The city government estimates that there were 277 traffic accidents with injuries in Helsinki last year, which is a significant decrease compared to around 1,000 accidents with injuries and an average of 30 deaths in the late 1980s.
For a city of this size, not a single traffic death is unusual. The Finnish capital has around 690,000 inhabitants, making Helsinki one of the largest cities to achieve this success.
30 km/h on more than half of the capital's streets
Many factors contribute to Helsinki's success, expert Ronni Utriainen tells Finnish broadcaster Yle. The biggest contributor, he says, is speed limits.
On more than half of the streets in the Finnish capital, the speed limit is now 30 km/h. This is particularly true for streets near kindergartens and schools.
More pedestrian and cycle paths
A key goal of the city's traffic concept is to increase the safety of children, pedestrians and cyclists - for example, by expanding the network of pedestrian and cycle paths, Utriainen explains. Meanwhile, road safety training for children and young people has also been expanded.
Stricter speed controls and more intensive traffic monitoring have also increased road safety. Public transport has also been significantly expanded. As a result, many people use their cars less often, which invariably leads to fewer accidents.
In Bologna and Lyon, city authorities also report positive results from stricter speed limits. In both cities, the number of road accidents has decreased significantly.