Sharp Increase in Speeding Fines Following Police Crackdown
The number of traffic violation fines issued for speeding by up to ten kilometres per hour has surged by over 80 percent this year, following a stricter enforcement approach by Finnish police. Yle reports that the increase stands at 82 percent, with 64,333 more fines issued by May compared to the same period last year (Ilta-Sanomat).
The rise follows the police’s decision to abandon the previous "intervention threshold," which had allowed drivers to exceed speed limits by up to seven kilometres per hour without penalty. Now, fines can be issued for even minor speeding violations. To account for potential measurement errors, police continue to deduct three kilometres per hour from recorded speeds (Yle).
Focus on Urban Areas and Vulnerable Road Users
Police Inspector Tuomo Katajisto of the Traffic Safety Unit at the Police Board told Ilta-Sanomat that the stricter enforcement aims to improve compliance with speed limits, particularly in urban areas. He noted that Finland’s speeding problem is evident in international comparisons, with poor adherence to limits in 2025.
Katajisto emphasised that even small speeding violations in low-speed zones—such as 30 or 40 km/h areas—significantly increase the risk of severe injuries to pedestrians and cyclists. The crackdown is part of Finland’s broader goal to eliminate road traffic fatalities by 2050, a target that has seen some progress in recent years, with annual deaths occasionally dropping below 200 (Ilta-Sanomat).
Surveillance Methods and Impact
The police have intensified speed monitoring, particularly near schools and daycare centres. Yle reports that visible enforcement has proven effective, with fines issued via camera poles rising by 62 percent and those from mobile units increasing by nearly 123 percent. In absolute terms, both methods resulted in around 32,200 penalty notices.
Finland has over a thousand camera poles, though only around 300 are equipped with active cameras. In addition, 26 mobile surveillance vehicles operate nationwide, while all police vehicles—including cars, motorcycles, and boats—are used to monitor speeding (Yle).
Senior Constable Toni Iivonen of the Central Finland Police noted that speeding in the field has decreased, though factors such as road conditions and fuel prices may also play a role. Interestingly, Yle cites Fintraffic data showing that Finns drive faster in winter (53 percent exceeding limits) than in summer (44 percent), contrary to common assumptions.
