Helsinki has not recorded a single traffic-related fatality over the past year, municipal officials said last week, according to Politico.
While road deaths across the EU are gradually declining (down 3% in 2024), fatal traffic accidents remain common in metropolitan areas. In 2023, 7,807 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in EU cities. Berlin alone reported 55 road deaths last year, while nine people died in crashes in the Brussels area over the past 12 months.
According to police data, Attica recorded 531 road accidents and collisions in July alone, with 11 fatalities.
Back in 2019, Helsinki reported zero pedestrian or cyclist deaths from car crashes for the first time.
Although Helsinki is one of the EU’s smaller capitals, with just under 690,000 residents, around 1.5 million people live and commute daily across the broader metropolitan area.
The city’s zero-death milestone is attributed to multiple factors, with the most important being the reduction of speed limits from 40 km/h to 30 km/h. The installation of 70 new speed cameras also played a key role.
Helsinki has further invested in new sidewalks and bike lanes, including an integrated cycling network that spans over 1,500 kilometers. It has also expanded its public transport system with green, driverless buses and received financing from the European Investment Bank for a new tram line.
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