In international comparison, Finland has one of the lowest rates of fatalities in road accidents per 100,000 people - 8 in 2001. The rate of fatal accidents was the highest in 1972, close to 1,200, but by 2003, it had declined to 380 while the number of vehicles grew by 2.6 times during the same period. The article points out the major policy decisions and analyses of various political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legislative factors affecting this development. Traffic safety in terms of fatalities has evolved very positively for the past 35 years based on the various policies, principles, and practices. Yet improving traffic safety will be relatively more difficult in the future because relatively simpler means have already been introduced. (Author/publisher)
Abstract