Road safety experts call for more central barriers on Finnish roads after sharp drop in traffic deaths

Traffic fatalities in Central Finland fell by ten last year, marking the country’s lowest death toll this century, according to a report by the Accident Investigation Institute (OTI). Road safety experts now urge wider adoption of central barriers, which they say are highly effective in preventing deadly head-on collisions.

The report shows that Central Finland recorded the steepest decline in traffic deaths nationwide, with ten fewer fatalities in 2025 compared to the previous year. Across Finland, 174 fatal accidents claimed 189 lives—the lowest annual figure since 2000. However, Kalle Parkkari, OTI’s road safety director, noted significant regional variation in accident rates.

Head-on collisions remain particularly deadly, often occurring on busy single-carriageway roads where overtaking requires crossing into oncoming traffic. “The force of impact increases dramatically in such cases, raising the likelihood of fatal injuries,” Parkkari explained.

Noora Airaksinen, lead road safety specialist at the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, emphasized that central barriers are a proven solution. “Research confirms their effectiveness in preventing fatal head-on crashes,” she said, adding that new barriers have already contributed to improved safety in Central Finland.

Finland’s busiest north-south route, Highway 4, is undergoing upgrades in the Joutsa, Leivonmäki, and Viitasaari areas, including additional central barriers and overtaking lanes. This year alone, around 100 kilometers of new barriers will be installed nationwide as part of broader road improvements. Airaksinen also highlighted grade-separated intersections as a key safety measure, calling them “the best solution for traffic safety.”

Despite progress, Finland still lags behind top-performing European nations. In 2024, it ranked seventh in the EU for traffic fatalities per capita, trailing Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Speeding remains a major factor, with 45 percent of fatal crashes in 2023 involving drivers exceeding limits by at least 10 km/h.

Both Airaksinen and Parkkari stressed that adapting speed to conditions—traffic, weather, and road quality—remains critical. Finland’s road safety strategy follows the Safe System approach, aiming to eliminate serious injuries and deaths by designing roads that mitigate human error.