Helsinki Marks 365 days since last Traffic Fatality

Helsinki, 5 August 2025 – In a landmark achievement for urban road safety, Helsinki has gone a full 12 months without recording a single traffic-related death. City and police officials confirmed this week that the capital’s last fatal collision occurred in early July 2024 on Keinulaudantie in the Kontula district, and that no further fatalities have been reported since.

Municipal authorities and traffic engineers attribute this milestone to a suite of long-term, data-driven measures aligned with Finland’s “Vision Zero” policy, which aims to eliminate all serious traffic injuries and deaths. A cornerstone of Helsinki’s approach has been the reduction of speed limits in residential and central areas from 40 km/h to 30 km/h, a change enforced since 2021 with the installation of 70 new speed cameras and enhanced policing tactics designed to ensure compliance .

“Speed limits are one of the most important factors in preventing fatalities,” said Roni Utriainen, a traffic engineer at the city’s Urban Environment Division. “Reducing impact speeds from 40 km/h to 30 km/h cuts the risk of pedestrian death by half.”

Beyond speed reduction, Helsinki has redesigned its streetscape to foster safer driving behaviour. Many thoroughfares have been narrowed and planted with trees to create a more complex driving environment, encouraging motorists to proceed with greater caution. According to Utriainen, these “visual speed bumps” help keep drivers alert and reduce the incidence of high-speed collisions.

Investment in walking and cycling infrastructure has also been pivotal. The city boasts over 1,500 km of dedicated cycling paths and a significantly expanded network of pedestrian routes, reducing reliance on cars for short journeys and lowering exposure to high-risk traffic scenarios. Complementing these efforts, Helsinki has introduced decarbonised and self-driving buses, as well as secured European Investment Bank funding for a new tram line, measures that collectively aim to shift commuters away from private car use.

A European Outlier

While road fatalities across the European Union fell by around 3 percent in 2024, cities large and small continue to grapple with tragic losses. In the same period, Berlin recorded 55 traffic deaths and the Brussels region saw nine fatalities. By contrast, Helsinki’s achievement stands out not only for having no fatalities but also for sustaining this record in a metropolitan area serving 1.5 million people.

Helsinki first demonstrated the effectiveness of its safety strategy in 2019, when it managed a year without any pedestrian or cyclist deaths. The city has since refined its policies, placing greater emphasis on urban design that pre-empts driver error and prioritises vulnerable road users.

Looking Ahead

City planners view this год-long record as a stepping stone rather than an endpoint. Future initiatives include roll-out of raised pedestrian crossings at key junctions, expansion of traffic-calming “shared spaces” in neighbourhood centres, and introduction of real-time speed feedback signs. Officials stress that maintaining zero fatalities will require sustained political will and community engagement.

Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas of the European Commission has pointed to Helsinki as a model for other capitals striving to halve traffic deaths by 2030, the EU’s target under its 2018 road-safety framework.

What This Means for Other Cities

Helsinki’s success underlines the importance of a “safe systems” approach - designing streets that acknowledge human error and limit its consequences. Key lessons include:

• Lower Speed Limits: Reducing speeds in densely populated areas significantly decreases the risk and severity of collisions.
• Enforcement Technology: Speed cameras and data-driven policing are vital tools for ensuring driver compliance.
• Street Design: Narrower lanes, landscaping and visual cues prompt more attentive driving.
• Modal Shift: Investing in public transport, cycling and walking infrastructure reduces the number of cars on the road.

As European cities gear up to meet ambitious road-safety targets, Helsinki’s blueprint offers concrete evidence that zero fatalities is an achievable goal. With political backing and continued innovation, other capitals may soon follow Finland’s lead.

August 2025