Tampere ranks second in urban road safety survey, Helsinki fifth

Residents of Tampere perceive their city’s traffic as safer compared to many other European cities, ranking second in a Dutch report on urban road safety. Helsinki was placed fifth and Turku fifteenth, with no other Finnish cities included in the survey. Nearly 12,000 respondents aged over 18 from 39 European cities participated, with each Finnish city contributing slightly over 300 respondents.

According to the report, Tallinn residents felt the safest in traffic, while those in Athens, Rome, and Milan reported feeling the least secure. The findings come from Cyclomedia’s Urban Road Safety Index, a report generated by the Dutch technology company.

In terms of cycling safety, Finland excelled, with Tampere respondents rating their bike paths as the safest of the surveyed cities. Helsinki placed second, while Turku came in fourth. Despite this, a majority of Turku respondents felt that local policymakers favored car traffic at the expense of other transportation modes, with only Madrid and London scoring worse in this regard.

Finnish respondents believe that urban traffic safety can be significantly improved by better separating different modes of transport, clarifying intersections, and enhancing bike paths. Other Europeans shared similar views.

In terms of adherence to speed limits, Finnish cities scored well, with Tampere residents citing themselves as the most diligent. Turku and Helsinki also ranked among the top ten. Conversely, Palma de Mallorca, Tallinn, Oslo, Hamburg, Brussels, and Cologne placed at the bottom.

Concerns were raised in the survey about new modes of transport, such as e-bikes and self-driving cars, particularly in Turku, where residents expressed apprehension about the city’s readiness to accommodate these innovations. Furthermore, a significant majority of Finnish respondents want faster snow removal from roads and proactive maintenance to minimize winter damage and improve driving conditions.