Traffic safety cameras in Finland largely out of service while awaiting upgrades

Over one hundred traffic safety cameras positioned along Finland’s roads have been out of service while awaiting upgrades, according to reports from Svenska Yle. This issue extends beyond just the cameras on Kehä I, as previously noted by Yle. Currently, two-thirds of Finland’s older, cube-shaped speed cameras have been non-operational for an extended period. For instance, the older speed cameras on Kehä I in Helsinki have not captured images of speeding violations since April 2023.

As of early August 2023, only 57 functional cameras were available for use throughout the country, down from 165 in the summer of 2023. All newer, elongated model speed cameras have remained operational. Authorities began efforts to rectify this problem two years ago, but finding compatible routers for modern mobile networks proved challenging. The police ordered their first batch of 30 new routers in Fall 2022, but faced delays due to the unavailability of previously functioning models.

According to Police Inspector Tuomo Katajisto of the Police Administration’s traffic safety unit, the situation is improving. This February, 11 new routers were received, and recently, 94 additional units were acquired, meant to replace outdated 3G routers that ceased functioning when the 3G network was decommissioned.

In Helsinki, only one newer model speed camera has been continuously operational, with all older models inactive for over a year. Despite this, the traffic enforcement head, Chief Inspector Dennis Pasterstein, noted that it has not significantly impacted the number of traffic violation fines issued. Monitoring continues using newer models and movable camera vehicles, which remain effective in maintaining traffic discipline.