Traffic Safety Finland reports increase in dangerous overtaking incidents on Finnish roads

Road overtaking incidents are common in traffic and cause numerous fatal accidents each year. Recent attention was drawn to this issue by a video published by Iltalehti, showing a bus dangerously overtaking a truck and narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with an oncoming motorhome. Fortunately, no harm came from this particular incident.

According to a survey conducted by Traffic Safety Finland in April, eight out of ten respondents reported frequently being overtaken at considerable speeds. Niklas Gullfors, the Chief Communications Officer at Traffic Safety Finland, stated that statistics reveal that speeding and risk-taking behavior are commonplace among certain drivers.

“Many have experienced dangerous situations while attempting to overtake. Often, these are navigated by sheer luck,” Gullfors said during an interview with Radio Suomi on Wednesday. He emphasized that tailgating or overtaking from the right is frequently risky and unnecessary.

“Speeding is not permissible while overtaking. It should be acknowledged that there are people on the road who drive slower.” He noted that overtaking is involved in 5 to 10 fatal accidents each year, with various factors such as road width and condition, vehicle characteristics, and driver-related factors like age and attitude influencing the risks.

Gullfors pointed out that speeding is often a habitual practice, particularly among young men. He urged drivers to carefully consider their need to overtake as the time saved is rarely significant and highlighted that failed overtaking attempts often lead to serious head-on collisions. He advocates a review of traffic rules among drivers and encourages self-reflection regarding one’s behavior on the road.

When overtaking, drivers should consider the environment, weather, traffic volume, lighting, and space in various directions.