While traffic deaths in Finland have steadily decreased over the years, 2024 saw a rise in child road fatalities, according to Statistics Finland.
A total of nine children under the age of 15 lost their lives in traffic this year, compared to just one in 2023.
So far this year, 172 people died in road accidents, according to the agency's preliminary data, as well as media reports collected by the Road Safety Council. This number is expected to rise slightly as statistics are to be finalised early next year.
Traffic deaths in Finland have steadily decreased in recent times. Over the past two years, such fatalities dropped to fewer than 200 per year, a stark contrast to the early 1970s, when the lives of more than 1,100 were commonly claimed annually.
Last year, 173 people died in accidents on Finnish roads, the lowest figure since 1935.
"The number of traffic fatalities will likely remain below 200 again, but we won’t see any improvement," said Pasi Anteroinen, Managing Director at the Finnish Road Safety Council.
Two minors died in e-scooter accidents
The agency has expressed growing concern over the rising number of accidents involving electric scooters.
"These accidents have occurred across various modes of transportation and in different circumstances. However, one notable anomaly is that, for the first time, we have two traffic fatalities in this age group involving electric scooters as the vehicle," Anteroinen said.
The agency hopes to see a minimum age limit of 15 years for the use of electric scooters, a measure already in place in many other countries.
"We currently have no age limit for electric scooters or other forms of micromobility, and this is something that needs to be urgently addressed."
Micromobility vehicles are small, electric-powered transportation devices designed for short trips, such as e-scooters, and e-bikes.
Poor weather conditions
The unpredictable weather at the end of the year may have contributed to fatalities among road users. The Finnish Road Safety Council reports that seven people died in traffic accidents over just two days in late November.
"Changing weather increases the risk of accidents, as drivers don't adjust their behaviour adequately to match the situation. In practice, this means they fail to slow down," says Marja Pakarinen, Research Manager at the agency.
Finland has pledged to halve traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.
"This means that by 2030, we need to reduce traffic deaths to fewer than 100. It's an ambitious goal, and there's still significant work to do to reach it," Pakarinen said.