A test in January 2017 revealed that one in every four lorries on a Finnish motorway was speeding. The Keskisuomalainen newspaper out of Jyväskylä in central Finland says most of the offenders were driving ten kilometres over the 80 km/h speed limit for vehicles carrying heavy goods.
The Finnish Transport Agency measured driving speeds of over 5,300 trucks over a 30 kilometre distance on Finland’s north-running motorway number four that connects Helsinki with Utsjoki.
Of the lorries observed, nearly 20 percent were driving 90 km/h. Some were going much faster even, as 24 were recorded going 110 km/h and seven were recorded at 120 km/h. One was even clocked at 130 km/h. Finland upholds an 80 kilometre speed limit for trucks and cars with trailers.
Closed FB warning group
The paper says a closed Facebook truck driver group with over 20,000 members also shares information about police checks and speed traps. Several users have requested that the reports be shared on mobile apps to help drivers on the road avoid the authorities.
The trade group Finnish Transport and Logistics SKAL, which represents hauling and logistics companies, says their research has shown that speeding is down among its over 5,000 members. It says 44 percent of the firms in their organisation monitor the driving performance of their employees with equipment.