Nearly one in five Finnish drivers report near-misses or crashes due to phone use while driving, survey finds

A new survey by insurance provider Lähi-Tapiola reveals that 19% of Finnish drivers have experienced dangerous situations in traffic because another driver was using a phone behind the wheel, with 14% reporting near-misses and 3% admitting to rear-end collisions or other accidents caused by phone distractions.

The figures surprised traffic police, who typically only record actual collisions—not close calls. “The percentages are surprisingly high,” said Heikki Kallio, a police inspector at the National Police Board. “They clearly show how often phones are used illegally while driving.”

The highest risk group was drivers aged 25–34, with 24% reporting near-misses, 5% rear-end collisions, and 1% other accidents due to phone use. The lowest rates were among drivers over 55.

Police data confirms the risk: phone use is a contributing factor in 3–5 fatal crashes annually in Finland, where around 200 people die in traffic accidents each year.

Holding a phone while driving carries a €100 fine, with nearly 6,600 such penalties issued last year. Police plan to expand automated enforcement using roadside cameras—already used for speeding—to detect phone use and seatbelt violations as early as next year.

The survey, conducted by Verian in February 2026, included 1,024 Finnish adults over 18, with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.