Finland’s traffic safety improvements face excessive delays, audit finds

A new report by Finland’s National Audit Office (VTV) concludes that bureaucratic obstacles are slowing progress on traffic safety, public broadcaster Yle reports.

The audit highlights persistent challenges in expanding automated traffic enforcement. According to VTV, the replacement of traditional fines with a traffic offence fee system has complicated enforcement efforts. Additionally, unclear division of responsibilities among authorities has further delayed development.

The report also notes that the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) has diverted resources to processing exemption applications for 17-year-olds seeking car driving licences—a task that has absorbed capacity needed for broader safety initiatives.