liikenneturvallisuusnäkökohdat

Liikenneturvallisuus, or road safety, is the field concerned with preventing injuries and fatalities resulting from road traffic. It encompasses infrastructure, vehicles, and road user behavior to create a safer mobility environment for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and passengers. Core risk factors include speeding, impairment due to alcohol or drugs, distraction, fatigue, and inadequate infrastructure such as missing crosswalks or protected lanes.

Approaches rely on the Safe System principle, which accepts that humans make mistakes and designs the system to prevent serious injury in those mistakes. Key components include road design and traffic management that reduce conflict points and separate vulnerable road users. Vehicle safety standards and crashworthiness play a role. Education and behavior-change campaigns, law enforcement and policy instruments such as speed limits, seat belt and helmet use, and a prompt post-crash emergency response are essential.

National and international efforts aim to collect and analyze crash data, set targets, and monitor progress. International guidance comes from organizations such as the World Health Organization and the European Union, with examples of successful programs in some countries adopting Vision Zero or Safe System approaches.

In Finland, Liikenneturva is a prominent non-governmental organization that promotes road safety through information campaigns, educational programs, and collaboration with authorities to improve traffic environments and behaviors.

Measuring impact includes reductions in fatalities, serious injuries, and exposure-adjusted risk. Ongoing challenges include urbanization, new mobility devices, and distracted driving.