In the seventies the trend in traffic safety in finland was exceptionally favourable. During this period the number of people killed annually in traffic accidents decreased so that at the end of the decade the number of fatalities was only half the number it was at the beginning of the seventies. The reduction in the injury accidents was approximately the same. In the international comparisons at the end of the seventies finland was considered among the leading countries in road safety. The favourable trend was due to several underlying factors that can be found among various elements of traffic safety work, as well as to measures aimed at improving various traffic safety sectors. By collecting and storing data on the above mentioned factors and measures the causes of favourable development may be examined and the data used also in the coming years. As a consequence the most important and obvious factors influencing the favourable trend are examined in this report, although no estimates are made about the magnitude of importance of any individual measure.
Abstract