Finnish fines hike brings reduction in offences

Doubling summary penal fees has improved traffic behaviour, according to police in Finland. A recent legal amendment has reduced the number of penal orders and fees issued in September and October.
November 24, 2015 Read time: 1 min

Doubling summary penal fees has improved traffic behaviour, according to police in Finland. A recent legal amendment has reduced the number of penal orders and fees issued in September and October.

“These results suggest that doubling the penalties has improved drivers' behaviour on the road,” says Chief Superintendent Heikki Ihalainen of the National Police Board.

Summary penal fees were increased by a government decree from 1 September 2015 onwards. The summary penal fees were doubled, with the exception of the highest fee of US$122 which was raised to US$213.

According to Ihalainen, the number of summary penal orders issued by the police dropped by about a thousand and the number of summary penal fees by about 3,000 in September and October compared to the same period last year.

Enforcement

Related Content

  • E-scooter fires spark TfL ban 
    December 16, 2021
    Defective lithium-ion batteries to blame; £1,000 fines for people who don't comply
    Read More
  • RHA welcomes enforcement of poor driving
    August 16, 2013
    The UK’s Road Haulage Association (RHA) has welcomed the news that police officers will now be able to issue fixed penalties for tail gating and for general poor lane discipline. "This is good news for all road users," said RHA chief executive Geoff Dunning. "The UK road network is among the most congested in Europe. As traffic levels continue to rise, it is inevitable that there will be a corresponding increase in traffic incidents. Careless driving is a major cause of crashes and we hope that the new poli
    Read More
  • As US edges to four million road deaths, 'something must change' says GHSA
    February 21, 2024
    'Grim and tragic milestone' requires renewed sense of urgency for road safety action
    Read More
  • New guidelines on level crossing safety to help save lives
    May 10, 2016
    Road transport organisation the IRU, the International Union of Railways (UIC) and Operation Lifesaver Estonia (OLE) have joined forces to raise awareness about level crossing safety amongst transport professionals. Their recently-published Level Crossing Safety aims to raise awareness of professional drivers of how to avoid risks potentially leading to a collision and reduce related accidents at this key interface between road and rail infrastructure. The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
    Read More

Highlighted Content