A recent government resolution outlines measures that will promote road safety related to drivers, vehicles and roads alike. The resolution creates preconditions for increasing automation and the use of digital data in transport.
The long-term vision of the resolution is that no-one would be killed or seriously injured on the road.
- The goal of the road safety vision is challenging but achievable. In addition to serving as a policy paper on the development of road transport legislation and safety work, the resolution will also lend important support to promoting digitalisation and automation in transport, said Ms Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications, describing the government resolution.
Clearer rules will promote road safety
The resolution consists of seven themes that have an impact on road safety. They include clearer rules of the road, more efficient traffic control, increasing the number of safer vehicles and preparing the ground for automatic transport, securing the safety of the road network, reforming the driving instruction and driving test system as well as reducing drink driving and other factors affecting driving ability.
- The resolution is in line with the Government's key projects. It will promote deregulation and support the digitalisation of society. The resolution will also support the implementation of internal security, speed up judicial processes and enable the court system to focus on its core tasks. Deregulation will be implemented in concrete terms through the pending Transport Code. Clearer rules of the road and better compliance with them will efficiently reduce road accidents over the next few years, believes Minister Berner.
- The policies will also guide digital transport solutions of the future. Transport automation, for example, will improve the safety and efficiency of traffic and transport, adds Minister Berner.
Indicators will be used to monitor the implementation of the resolution. These indicators include the number of transport performances, the availability of transport services, the number of devices and services that assist the driver, as well as transport performances by automated vehicles and the number of accidents caused by them. A monitoring group will be set up in the Finnish Transport Safety Agency Trafi that will have the task of following up the resolution's implementation, using these indicators among other things.
The resolution on road safety was approved by the Government on 15 December 2016.
Further Information
Mr Timo Kievari, Director of Unit, tel. +358 295 34 2620, @TimoKievari
Mr Leif Beilinson, Senior Adviser, tel. +358 295 34 2572
