Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency maintains current speed limits amidst safety concerns

Speed limits will not be reduced on Finnish roads, as the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto) has opted not to issue new speed limit guidelines. Earlier this year, the agency had proposed lowering speed limits from 100 km/h to either 80 or 90 km/h on approximately 1,800 kilometers of roads across Finland. However, the agency has stated that feedback received from stakeholders, public consultations, and citizen discussions indicated a strong preference for achieving road safety goals through measures other than reducing speed limits.

“Our aim is for speed limits on Finnish roads to be justifiable and acceptable to users, so that they are followed,” said Virpi Anttila, the agency’s sector manager, in a statement.

The initial proposal to lower speed limits was motivated by safety concerns, with the potential to prevent seven fatalities or severe injuries annually. The agency also noted that reducing these limits could decrease fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. However, the trade-off would be longer travel times. Anttila explained in May that while journey times would increase, the financial savings from reduced accident costs outweighed the expenses associated with longer travel.

The agency’s guidelines would not determine specific speed limits for individual road segments, as these are set by regional safety authorities. Finland has a total of approximately 78,000 kilometers of state roads, with around 9,700 kilometers currently posted at the 100 km/h speed limit. Decisions regarding speed limits in urban areas fall under the jurisdiction of cities and municipalities.