Finland to double number of safety cameras as groups in Spain and the Netherlands call for more enforcement

Finnish police plan to install an additional 150 safety cameras over the next three years. Municipal officials are currently working with police to determine where to place the devices. 

The addition of the new cameras will more than double the current stock of 130. Police also have plans to introduce 25 mobile safety camera vehicles.  

The Finnish Transport Agency is preparing a list of proposed sites, the final locations will be based on road safety data. 

New data for the first half of 2017 has shown that Finnish motorists are slowing down as a result of increased automated enforcement.  

A recent Spanish study by the Mapfre Foundation, the Guardia Civil and The University of Seville found that safety cameras are one of the most effective measures for reducing deaths on the roads. An increase of 10% in speed controls could cut deaths by 4% according to the researchers. 

The Dutch road safety organisation Veilig Verkeer has written to the minister of justice Stef Blok, calling for tougher fines and an increase in automated enforcement in response to recent poor progress in the country on road safety.