Helsinki maps its vision for zero road deaths

In 2019, Finland’s capital Helsinki made international headlines when it recorded zero pedestrian or cyclist fatalities – down from an average of 20-30 during the 1990s.

Speaking during an interview at the recent Cities Today Institute City Leadership Forum in Antwerp, Helsinki’s Transportation Planning Director Reetta Putkonen outlined the efforts undertaken to eliminate road deaths in the Nordic city.

She said there are several factors that improve road safety but that “the traffic environment” is the main issue, including the layout of streets and clearly communicating speed limits to drivers.

Putkonen said results in Helsinki have shown that reducing speed limits from 40 to 30 kilometres per hour has little impact on travel time but a major impact on safety.